e Academy decided in favor of Abbe de
Lavau, the outgoing director. "Nobody but you could pretend to bury
Corneille," said Benserade to Racine, "yet you have not been able to
obtain the chance." It was only when he received into the Academy Thomas
Corneille, in his brother's place, that Racine could praise to his
heart's content the master and rival who, in old age, had done him the
honor to dread him. "My father had not been happy in his speech at his
own admission," says Louis Racine ingenuously; "he was in this, because
he spoke out of the abundance of his heart, being inwardly convinced that
Corneille was worth much more than he." Louis XIV. had come in for as
great a share as Corneille in Racine's praises. He, informed of the
success of the speech, desired to hear it. The author had the honor of
reading it to him, after which the king said to him, "I am very pleased;
I would praise you more if you had praised me less." It was on this
occasion that the great Arnauld, still in disgrace and carefully
concealed, wrote to Racine: "I have to thank you, sir, for the speech
which was sent me from you. There certainly was never anything so
eloquent, and the hero whom you praise is so much the more worthy of your
praises in that he considered them too great. I have many things that I
would say to you about that, if I had the pleasure of seeing you, but it
would need the dispersal of a cloud which I dare to say is a spot upon
this sun. I assure you that the ideas I have thereupon are not
interested, and that what may concern myself affects me very little. A
chat with you and your companion would give me much pleasure, but I would
not purchase that pleasure by the least poltroonery. You know what I
mean by that; and so I abide in peace and wait patiently for God to make
known to this perfect prince that he has not in his kingdom a subject
more loyal, more zealous for his true glory, and, if I dare say so,
loving him with a love more pure and more free from all interest. That
is why I should not bring myself to take a single step to obtain liberty
to see my friends, unless it were to my prince alone that I could be
indebted for it." Fenelon and the great Arnauld held the same language,
independent and submissive, proud and modest, at the same time. Only
their conscience spoke louder than their respect for the king.

[Illustration: Racine----646]

At the time when Racine was thus praising at the Academy the king a