my, and changed the sentence
to solitary confinement for life. The succeeding minister took away La
Fontaine's pension, as might have been expected.

In 1664 La Fontaine published his first collection of fables, and it
gave him immediately the very highest rank as a fabulist. Shortly after,
he published a tale entitled "_Psyche and Cupid_." He was now without
money and a home. The duchess of Orleans added him to her suite, and
gave him a pension. She soon died, however, and he was again left
homeless. A woman by the name of de la Sabliere now invited him to her
house, and with her he lived the next twenty years. She was a woman of
great refinement and taste, but was singularly situated. She lived apart
from her husband, and had her lover. She gave parties which the most
distinguished men in France attended, and La Fontaine was very happy
while in her house. He was oppressed by no care or anxiety, and had
nothing to do but to read and write when it suited him. He wrote
several operas, and actually fell asleep during the first performance of
one of them at the theater!

In 1683 he was elected a member of the French Academy. He had forgotten
his old friends at Thierry, and indeed did not know his own son. He
attended the funeral of a friend, one day, and ten days after it had so
completely escaped his memory, that he called to visit the man. He was
lionized, greatly to his displeasure. Attending one day at a dinner
given by somebody who cared nothing for his genius, but wished the
_eclat_ that would result from entertaining a great man, La Fontaine
talked little, eat very heartily, and when dinner was over, got his hat
to go. The host remonstrated: "The distance is short--you will be too
early," he said. "I'll take the longest road," replied La Fontaine.

After twenty years of easy existence, La Fontaine was suddenly deprived
of his home. Madame de la Sabliere had been living all this time with
her lover. He now deserted her. At the same time her husband was
deserted by his mistress, which so affected him that he took poison and
died. These events had so great an effect upon Madame de la Sabliere
that she also died.

The duchess of Bouillon was now in England, and she invited La Fontaine
to join her there; but he was now too old, and could not undertake such
a journey. Madame d'Hevvart, the wife of a rich man, gave him an
apartment in her house, where he remained during the rest of his days.
He was now getting infirm,