the flesh. "Than Mme. de Maintenon, no one
ever better knew the evils of the world without having fallen prey to
them," says Sainte-Beuve; "and no one ever satisfied and disgusted the
world more, while charming it at the same time."

Mme. de Maintenon's ideal methods of education were not immediately
effective; there were many periods of hardship, apprehension, and
doubt. Thus, when Racine's _Esther_ (written at the request of Mme. de
Maintenon, to be presented by the pupils at Saint-Cyr) was performed,
there sprang up a taste for poetry, writing, and literature of all
kinds. The acting turned the girls' thoughts into other channels and
threatened to counteract the teachings of simplicity and reason; no
one ever showed more genuine good sense, wholesomeness of mind, and
breadth of view, than were displayed by Mme. de Maintenon in dealing
with these disheartening drawbacks.

In endeavoring to impress upon those young minds the correct use of
language and the proper style of writing, she wrote for them models
of letters which showed simplicity, precision, truth, facility, and
wonderful clearness; and these were imitated by them in their replies
to her.

She wished, above all, to make them realize that her experience
with that social and court life, for which they longed, was one of
disappointment: that was a world apart, in which amusing and being
amused was the one occupation. She had passed wearily through that
period of life, and sought repose, truth, tranquillity, and religious
resignation; to make those young spirits feel the fallacy of such
a mode of existence was her earnest desire, and her efforts in that
direction were characterized by a zeal, energy, and persistence
which were productive of wonderful results. That was one phase of her
greatness and influence.

But Mme. de Maintenon was somewhat too severe, too narrow, too
strict,--one might say, too ascetic,--in her teaching. There was
too little of that which, in this world, cheers, invigorates, and
enlivens. Her instruction was all reason, without relieving features;
it lacked what Sainte-Beuve calls the _don des larmes_ (gift of
tears). Hers was a noble, just, courageous, and delicate judgment; but
it was without the softening qualities of the truly feminine, which
calls for tears and affection, tenderness and sympathy.

She remains in educational affairs the greatest woman of the
seventeenth century, if not of all her countrywomen. M. Faguet says:
"T