n on the Princess Henrietta
of England.

This princess was the last one left of the children of King Charles I.
of England. Her mother's death--her mother was of the French house of
Bourbon--had occurred but a short time before, and Bossuet had on that
occasion pronounced the eulogy. The daughter, scarcely returned to
France from a secret mission of state to England, the success of which
made her an object of distinguished regard at Versailles, suddenly fell
ill and died. Bossuet was summoned to preach at her funeral. (We have
not been able to find an English translation of Bossuet, and we
accordingly make the present transfer from French ourselves. We do the
same, for the same reason, in the case of Massillon. In the case of
Bourdaloue, we succeeded in obtaining a printed translation which we
could modify to suit our purpose.) Bossuet:--

It was then reserved for my lot to pay this funereal tribute to the
high and potent princess, Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orleans.
She whom I had seen so attentive while I was discharging a like
office for the queen her mother, was so soon after to be the
subject of a similar discourse, and my sad voice was predestined to
this melancholy service. O vanity! O nothingness! O mortals!
ignorant of their destiny! Ten months ago, would she have believed
it? And you, my hearers, would you have thought, while she was
shedding so many tears in this place, that she was so soon to
assemble you here to deplore her own loss? O princess! the worthy
object of the admiration of two great kingdoms, was it not enough
that England should deplore your absence, without being yet further
compelled to deplore your death? France, who with so much joy
beheld you again, surrounded with a new brilliancy, had she not in
reserve other pomps and other triumphs for you, returned from that
famous voyage whence you had brought hither so much glory, and
hopes so fair? "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity." Nothing is left
for me to say but that; that is the only sentiment which, in
presence of so strange a casualty, grief so well-grounded and so
poignant, permits me to indulge. Nor have I explored the Holy
Scriptures in order to find therein some text which I might apply
to this princess; I have taken, without premeditation and without
choice, the first expression presented to me by the Preacher, with