FLEURT
103
FLEURY
the body of the founder. No doubt there is much timidity when at the outbreak of the War of the Aus-
fabulous matter in tlie Fleury accounts of the famous trian Succession he wrote a letter to General Konig-
transfer, but we must remember they were written at seek, in which he seemed to apologize for this war.
the time when even good causes were more effectually But, in truth, Fleury was simply anticipating the
defended by introducing the supernatural than by the policy of the renversement des allinnces (breaking up of
most obvious natural explanations. the alliances), which began in 1756, and which by unit-
Miracula Sancti Benedicti. ed. de Certain (Paris, 1858); ing France and Austria was to be more in conformity
VlKKCtlKHD. Souvenirs historiquessurVancimneAbbayede Saint- with the Cltholip tnHitinns nf hntVi pniintriBc TVio
a. t<_.,.,^r„,v« ^n,.i.5„nQ is^isi- Knrum Hisinire lie I'nhhni.f w lui lue i_auiouc iraQitions oi Doiu countTies. ine
opmion of historians like Vandal and Masson with re- gard to this renrersement des alliances, so long the object of criticism, tends to justify Cardinal Fleury. During the period of Fleury's power Jansenism was gaining ground among the masses as a superstitious He was a sect , as is evidenced by the miracles of the deacon Paris,
while among the upper
BmoU-sur-Loire (Organs, 1838); Rocher. Hisloire de Vabbay,
RoyaledeS. Benotl-sur-Loire (Orl&ns, 1869); Mabillon, An-
nates O.S.B., I; Chamard. Les religues de S. BenoU (Paris.
1882); Tosrl. tr. Woods, Saint Benedict (London. 1896).
Anscar Vonier.
26
Fleury, Andre-Hercule de, b. at Lodeve,
June, 1653; d. at Paris, 29 January, 1743
prot^g^ of Cardinal
de Bonzi and became
chaplain to Maria
Theresa in 1679, and
to Louis XIV in 1683.
He was appointed
Bishop of Fr^jus in
1698, but resigned the
see in 1715, when he
received the Abbey of
Tournus and was ap-
pointed tutor to the
young Louis XV.
Naturally cold and
imperturbable, he re-
mained in the back-
ground during the
regency. When Louis
XV attained his ma-
jority in 1723, it was
at the instance of
Fleury that the Due
de Bourbon was made
prime minister, and
quarrelling with the
duke, Fleury pre-
tended to retire to
Issy. Louis XV, how-
ever, who admired
and loved his tutor,
sent the duke into
exile, and entrusted
the government to
Fleury. True to his
habits of discretion,
and accustomed, as
Duclos says, "to
bridle the envious",
he never a.ssumed the
title of prime minister.
He was made cardinal
in September, 1726, and until his death remained the guiding spirit in French politics.
Comparing the three cardinals, d'Argenson said: "Richelieu bled France, Mazarin purged it, and Fleury put it on a diet". He alluded in this banter- ing way to the cardinal's policy of economy which
Andre-Hercule Cardinal de Flecrt
Painted by Jacques Autreau — Engraved hy H. S. Thomassin
classes it took shape
as a political faction.
lleury was the min-
ister who had to con-
tend with a Jansenist
opposition in the Par-
liament of Paris. He
reserved to royal au-
thority all matters
relating to the Jan-
senists, one conse-
quence of which was
a " strike " on the part
of the magist rates and
lawyers, which Fleury
repressed by certain
measures of severity.
He became a member
of the Academy in
1717 and was the first
to propose sending a
scientific expedition
to the far north and
to Peru to measure
the degrees of the
meridian.
MARAIs.MpmoVres (Paris, 1H63-68); Barbier, Jour- nal historique (Paris, IS. 5 7); D'Argenson Journal (Paris, 1859-67); Duclos, Memoires secrets (I'aris. 1791); Lacre- Ti i.LE. Histoire de France pnidantle IS' siede (Pans, IsliO); JoBEZ. La France .■,„„>: L„„ii! XV (Paris, istil-7;ii; DucDE Broq- L! K, I.' I '>! ritinal de Fleury et la I'ra^vuatique imperiale in Revue historique (1882)
Georges Gotau.
Fleury, Claude, Church historian and educator; b.
at Paris, 6 December, 1640; d. 14 July, 1725. The
son of a lawyer from Normandy, he received a tho-
rough education at the renowned Jesuit College of
Clermont, devoted himself subsequently to legal stud-
ies, and in 1658 was called to the bar at the very early
among other drawbacks, retarded the development of age of eighteen. For nine years he applied himself
the French military marine at the very period when earnestly to his calling and continued his studies in
the mercantile marine, thanks to private enterprise, jurisprudence, but interested himself also in history,
was making considerable progress. In spite of this, literature, and archaeology. Signally gifted, indus-
however, Fleury had the qualities of a great minister, trious, and of a gentle disposition, he soon won for him-
He was the first to foresee that France would not self the patronage of the great. He frequented the
always be at enmity with the Hapsburgs. In con- house of M. de Montmor and the salon of Guillaume de
nexion with the Polish succession and the Duchy of Lamoignon, first president of the Parlement of Paris,
Lorraine, he availed himself of the able advice of the where he met the intellectual celebrities of France,
diplomat Chauvelin, when it became necessary to play Bossuet, Bourdaloue, Boileau, etc. His deeply reli-
a cautious game with Austria. But, as Vandal says, gious spirit and his leaning towards a life of quiet re-
the policy of Chauvelin was that of the past. Fleury, tirement led him to form the resolution to abandon
in redoubling his efforts to bring about as quickly as the law, to study theology, and to embrace the priestly
possible pleasant relations between the King of calling. The date of his ordination is unknown, but it
France and the emperor, was the precursor of Choiseul, certainly took place before 1672, when, at Bossuet's
Vergennes, and Talleyrand. He was accused of suggestion, he was appointed tutor (sous-pr^cepteur)
