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Chapter 6EducFilles.1.6

Chapitre VI — De l’usage des histoires pour les enfants

The Art of Sacred Storytelling

Children learn best through engaging, well-told narratives that capture their imagination without the pressure of formal lessons.

Children passionately love silly stories; every day you see them carried away with joy, or shedding tears, at the telling of the adventures people recount for them. Don't fail to make use of this inclination. When they're ready to listen, tell them short, charming fables—but choose clever, innocent animal stories. Present them for what they are and show their serious purpose. As for pagan fables, a girl will be better off never knowing them all her life, because they are impure and full of impious absurdities. If you can't keep a child from learning about them, inspire a sense of horror toward them. After you've told a fable, wait until the child asks for more; that way, you always leave them hungry to learn more. Once their curiosity is stirred, tell carefully chosen stories in just a few words. Link them together and put off the next part until the following day to keep the children in suspense and eager to see the end. Animate your stories with lively, familiar tones; make all your characters speak: children, who have vivid imaginations, will believe they see and hear them. For example, tell the story of Joseph: have his brothers speak like brutes and Jacob like a tender, stricken father; let Joseph speak for himself; let him take pleasure, once he's master in Egypt, in hiding himself from his brothers, in frightening them, and then in revealing who he is. This natural, lifelike performance, joined to the marvelous quality of the story, will delight a child—provided you don't overload him with similar tales, you leave him wanting them, you even promise them as a reward when he's good, you don't give them the air of schoolwork, and you don't force the child to repeat them: those repetitions, unless the children take them up on their own, only bother them and strip all the pleasure out of stories of this kind.1 You still have to notice, though, that if the child has any ease in speaking, he will of himself set about telling the people he loves the stories that gave him the most pleasure; but don't make a rule of it for him.2 You can make use of someone who is easy and free with the child and who will seem to want to learn the story from him: the child will be delighted to tell it to that person. Don't act as if you already know it; let him speak without correcting his mistakes.3 When he's more used to storytelling, you can gently point out to him the best way to tell a story: keep it short, simple, and natural, by choosing the details that best bring out the true character of each thing.4 If you have several children, gradually get them used to acting out the characters of the stories they've learned; one will be Abraham and the other Isaac. These enactments will delight them more than other games, will get them used to thinking and saying serious things with pleasure, and will fix these stories indelibly in their memory.

Religion as a Living History

Sacred history provides the essential foundation for faith, presenting the mysteries of God through the unfolding of historical events.

You should try to give them a greater taste for sacred stories than for other ones—not by telling them those stories are more beautiful, which they might not believe, but by making them feel it without saying so. Point out how important, distinctive, and marvelous these stories are—full of natural scenes and a noble liveliness.5 Stories about the creation, Adam's fall, the flood, Abraham's calling, the sacrifice of Isaac, Joseph's adventures that we've already touched on, and the birth and flight of Moses aren't just suited to awaken a child's curiosity; by showing them the origin of religion, they also lay its foundations in their minds. You have to be deeply ignorant of the essentials of religion not to see that it is entirely historical: it is through a fabric of marvelous facts that we find its establishment, its lasting continuity, and everything that should lead us to practice it and believe it.6 Don't imagine that proposing all these stories means wanting to push people deep into scholarly learning; they are short, varied, and suited to please even the simplest people.7 God, who knows the human mind he formed better than anyone, has set religion in popular facts that, far from overburdening simple people, help them grasp and remember the mysteries. For example, tell a child that in God three equal persons are only one nature: by hearing and repeating those terms often enough, he'll keep them in his memory, but I doubt he'll grasp what they mean. Tell him that as Jesus Christ was coming out of the waters of the Jordan, the Father made this voice heard from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him." Add that the Holy Spirit came down on the Savior in the form of a dove: you make him find the Trinity in a concrete, sensible way in a story he will never forget.8 There you have three persons he will always distinguish by their different actions; all you'll have left to teach him is that together they make only one God. This example is enough to show how useful stories are: though they seem to lengthen the lesson, they actually shorten it significantly and remove the dryness of catechisms, where mysteries are separated from the facts. This is why we see that in earlier times, people taught through stories. The admirable way Saint Augustine wants all the unlearned to be instructed was not a method that Father alone had introduced; it was the Church's universal method and practice. It consisted of showing, through the course of history, that religion is as old as the world, with Jesus Christ awaited in the Old Testament and reigning in the New—that is the foundation of Christian teaching. That takes a little more time and care than the instruction many people settle for; but then you truly know the religion when you know this detail. When you don't, you have only confused ideas about Jesus Christ, the Gospel, the Church, the need to submit absolutely to its decisions, and the heart of the virtues the Christian name should inspire in us. The Historical Catechism printed recently—a simple, short book, and much clearer than ordinary catechisms—contains everything you need to know on this, so you can't say it requires a great deal of study.9 This aim is even that of the Council of Trent—with this qualification: that the Council's Catechism is a little too mixed with theological terms for simple people. So let's add to the stories I've already mentioned the crossing of the Red Sea and the people's time in the desert, where they ate bread that fell from heaven and drank water that Moses made flow from a rock by striking it with his staff.

Vivid Portraits of Faith

By painting lifelike portraits of biblical figures and events, educators can make the truths of the faith both beautiful and memorable.

Picture the miraculous conquest of the Promised Land, where the waters of the Jordan run back toward their source, and the walls of a city fall down on their own at the sight of the besiegers. Paint a vivid picture of the battles of Saul and David; show David as a youth, unarmed and still in his shepherd’s clothes, defeating the proud giant Goliath. Don’t forget Solomon’s glory and wisdom; have him decide between the two women quarreling over a child—but show him falling from the height of that wisdom and dishonoring himself by softness, the almost inevitable sequel of too great a prosperity. Have the prophets speak to the kings on God's behalf; let them read the future as if it were a book; let them appear humble, austere, and constantly persecuted for telling the truth. Put the first fall of Jerusalem in its place: show the temple burned, and the holy city ruined for the sins of the people.10 Tell the story of the Babylonian captivity, where the Jews wept for their beloved Zion. Before their return, touch in passing on the delightful adventures of Tobit and Judith, of Esther and Daniel.11 It wouldn't hurt to have the children discuss the different characters of these saints, so you can find out which ones they like best.12 One might prefer Esther, another Judith; this would spark a little debate among them, which would help fix these stories more firmly in their minds and shape their judgment. Then bring the people back to Jerusalem and have them repair the ruins; paint a cheerful picture of their peace and happiness. Soon after, paint a portrait of the cruel and impious Antiochus, who dies in a false repentance: under this persecutor, show the victories of the Maccabees, and the martyrdom of the seven brothers of the same name.13 Move on to the miraculous birth of Saint John. Tell the story of Jesus Christ in more detail; after that, choose the most striking moments of his life from the Gospel: his teaching in the Temple at age twelve, his baptism, his retreat into the desert, and his temptation; the calling of his apostles; the multiplication of the loaves; and the conversion of the sinful woman who anointed the Savior's feet with perfume, washed them with her tears, and dried them with her hair.✦✦✦14 Also picture the Samaritan woman being taught, the man born blind healed, Lazarus raised, and Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem in triumph: show his Passion; paint him coming out of the tomb. Next, highlight the easy familiarity with which he spent forty days with his disciples until they saw him ascend into heaven; the descent of the Holy Spirit, the stoning of Saint Stephen, the conversion of Saint Paul, and the calling of the centurion Cornelius. The travels of the apostles, and Saint Paul's in particular, are also very delightful. Choose the most marvelous stories of the martyrs, and provide a broad outline of the heavenly life of the first Christians; include the courage of young virgins, the most astonishing austerities of the hermits, the conversion of the emperors and the empire, the blindness of the Jews, and their terrible punishment that still continues.15

Providence and the Beauty of Truth

Consistent exposure to sacred stories reveals God's hand in history and makes religion a source of joy rather than a burden.

All these stories, carefully and discreetly managed, would gladly bring into children's lively and tender imaginations a whole continuous course of religion, from the creation of the world down to our own time—one that would give them very noble ideas of it, and that would never be erased.16 They would even see, in this story, the hand of God always raised to deliver the righteous and to confound the ungodly. They would grow accustomed to seeing God at work in everything, secretly guiding even those who seem to be straying furthest from his purposes. But you would need to gather from these stories everything that yields the brightest and most magnificent images, because you have to use every means so that children find religion beautiful, lovable, and majestic, instead of picturing it, as they usually do, as something sad and lifeless.17 Beyond the priceless advantage of teaching religion to children this way, this store of enjoyable stories, planted early in their memory, awakens their curiosity about serious things, makes them responsive to intellectual pleasures, and gets them interested in hearing other stories connected to the ones they already know. But again, you must carefully avoid ever making it a rule that they listen to or remember these stories—and certainly don't turn them into formal lessons; pleasure has to do all the work. Don't press them; you'll succeed, even with ordinary minds. You just need to avoid overloading them and let their curiosity grow little by little. But you might ask, how can you tell these stories in a lively, brief, natural, and pleasant way? Where are the governesses who know how to do it? To that I answer that I propose it only so that people will try to choose persons of good sense to look after the children, and will impress on them as far as they can this method of teaching: each governess will take from it according to the measure of her talent. But in the end, however little openness of mind they may have, things will go less badly when they are trained in this way, which is natural and simple. They can supplement their storytelling with prints or paintings that pleasantly depict sacred stories. Prints can be enough, and you should use them for ordinary purposes; but when you have the chance to show children good paintings, you shouldn't neglect it, because the force of the colors, together with the life-size scale of the figures, will strike their imagination much more strongly.

Read the original Latin

Les enfants aiment avec passion les contes ridicules ; on les voit tous les jours transportés de joie, ou versant des larmes, au récit des aventures qu’on leur raconte. Ne manquez pas de profiter de ce penchant. Quand vous les voyez disposés à vous entendre, racontez-leur quelque fable courte et jolie : mais choisissez quelques fables d’animaux qui soient ingénieuses et innocentes : donnez-les pour ce qu’elles sont ; montrez-en le but sérieux. Pour les fables païennes, une fille sera heureuse de les ignorer toute sa vie, à cause qu’elles sont impures et pleines d’absurdités impies. Si vous ne pouvez les faire ignorer toutes à l’enfant, inspirez-en l’horreur. Quand vous aurez raconté une fable, attendez que l’enfant vous demande d’en dire d’autres ; ainsi laissez-le toujours dans une espèce de faim d’en apprendre davantage. Ensuite la curiosité étant excitée, racontez certaines histoires choisies, mais en peu de mots ; liez-les ensemble ; et remettez d’un jour à l’autre à dire la suite, pour tenir les enfants en suspens, et leur donner de l’impatience de voir la fin. Animez vos récits de tons vifs et familiers ; faites parler tous vos personnages : les enfants, qui ont l’imagination vive, croiront les voir et les entendre.

Par exemple, racontez l’histoire de Joseph : faites parler ses frères comme des brutaux, Jacob comme un père tendre et affligé ; que Joseph parle lui-même ; qu’il prenne plaisir, étant maître en Egypte, à se cacher à ses frères, à leur faire peur, et puis à se découvrir. Cette représentation naïve, jointe au merveilleux de cette histoire, charmera un enfant, pourvu qu’on ne le charge pas trop de semblables récits, qu’on les lui laisse désirer, qu’on les lui promette même pour récompense quand il sera sage, qu’on ne leur donne point l’air d’étude, qu’on n’oblige point l’enfant de les répéter : ces répétitions, à moins qu’ils ne s’y portent d’eux-mêmes, gênent les enfants, et leur ôtent tout l’agrément de ces sortes d’histoires. Il faut néanmoins observer que si l’enfant à quelque facilité de parler, il se portera de lui-même à raconter aux personnes qu’il aime les histoires qui lui auront donné plus de plaisir ; mais ne lui en faites point une règle. Vous pouvez vous servir de quelque personne qui sera libre avec l’enfant, et qui paraîtra désirer apprendre de lui son histoire : l’enfant sera ravi de la lui raconter. Ne faites pas semblant de l’entendre, laissez-le dire sans le reprendre de ses fautes. Lorsqu’il sera plus accoutumé à raconter, vous pourrez lui faire remarquer doucement la meilleure manière de faire une narration, qui est de la rendre courte, simple et naïve, par le choix des circonstances qui représentent mieux le naturel de chaque chose. Si vous avez plusieurs enfants, accoutumez-les peu à peu à représenter les personnages des histoires qu’ils ont apprises ; l’un sera Abraham et l’autre Isaac : ces représentations les charmeront plus que d’autres jeux, les accoutumeront à penser et à dire des choses sérieuses avec plaisir ; et rendront ces histoires ineffaçables dans leur mémoire.

Il faut tâcher de leur donner plus de goût pour les histoires saintes que pour les autres, non en leur disant qu’elles sont plus belles, ce qu’ils ne croiraient peut-être pas, mais en leur faisant sentir sans le dire. Faites-leur remarquer combien elles sont importantes, singulières, merveilleuses, pleines de peintures naturelles et d’une noble vivacité. Celles de la création, de la chute d’Adam, du déluge, de la vocation d’Abraham, du sacrifice d’Isaac, des aventures de Joseph que nous avons touchées, de la naissance et de la fuite de Moïse, ne sont pas seulement propres à réveiller la curiosité des enfants ; mais, en leur découvrant l’origine de la religion, elles en posent les fondements dans leur esprit. Il faut ignorer profondément l’essentiel de la religion, pour ne pas voir qu’elle est toute historique : c’est par un tissu de faits merveilleux que nous trouvons son établissement, sa perpétuité, et tout ce qui doit nous la faire pratiquer et croire. Il ne faut pas s’imaginer qu’on veuille engager les gens à s’enfoncer dans la science, quand on leur propose toutes ces histoires ; elles sont courtes, variées, propres à plaire aux gens les plus grossiers. Dieu, qui connaît mieux que personne l’esprit de l’homme qu’il a formé, a mis la religion dans des faits populaires, qui, bien loin de surcharger les simples, leur aident à concevoir et à retenir les mystères. Par exemple, dites à un enfant qu’en Dieu trois personnes égales ne sont qu’une seule nature : à force d’entendre et de répéter ces termes, il les retiendra dans sa mémoire, mais je doute qu’il en conçoive le sens. Racontez-lui que Jésus-Christ sortant des eaux du Jourdain, le Père fit entendre cette voix du ciel : C’est mon fils bien-aimé en qui j’ai mis ma complaisance, écoutez-le ; ajoutez que le Saint-Esprit descendit sur le Sauveur en forme de colombe : vous lui faites sensiblement trouver la Trinité dans une histoire qu’il n’oubliera point.

Voilà trois personnes qu’il distinguera toujours par la différence de leurs actions : vous n’aurez plus qu’à lui apprendre que toutes ensemble elles ne font qu’un seul Dieu. Cet exemple suffit pour montrer l’utilité des histoires : quoique elles semblent allonger l’instruction, elles l’abrègent beaucoup, et lui ôtent la sécheresse des catéchismes, où les mystères sont détachés des faits ; aussi voyons-nous qu’anciennement on instruisait par les histoires. La manière admirable dont saint Augustin veut qu’on instruise tous les ignorants n’était point une méthode que ce Père eût seul introduite, c’était la méthode et la pratique universelle de l’Eglise. Elle consistait à montrer, par la suite de l’histoire, la religion aussi ancienne que le monde, Jésus-Christ attendu dans l’ancien Testament, et Jésus-Christ régnant dans le nouveau, c’est le fond de l’instruction chrétienne. Cela demande un peu plus de temps et de soin que l’instruction à laquelle beaucoup de gens se bornent : mais aussi on sait véritablement la religion, quand on sait ce détail ; au lieu que, quand on l’ignore, on n’a que des idées confuses sur Jésus-Christ, sur l’Evangile, sur l’Eglise, sur la nécessité de se soumettre absolument à ses décisions, et sur le fond des vertus que le nom chrétien doit nous inspirer. Le Catéchisme historique imprimé depuis peu de temps, qui est un livre simple, court, et bien plus clair que les Catéchismes ordinaires, renferme tout ce qu’il faut savoir là-dessus ; ainsi on ne peut pas dire qu’on demande beaucoup d’étude. Ce dessein est même celui du concile de Trente ; avec cette circonstance, que le Catéchisme du Concile est un peu trop mêlé de termes théologiques pour les personnes simples. Joignons donc aux histoires que j’ai remarquées, le passage de la mer Rouge, et le séjour du peuple au désert, où il mangeait un pain qui tombait du ciel, et buvait une eau que Moïse faisait couler d’un rocher en le frappant avec sa verge.

Représentez la conquête miraculeuse de la Terre promise, où les eaux du Jourdain remontent vers leur source, et les murailles d’une ville tombent d’elles-mêmes à la vue des assiégeants. Peignez au naturel les combats de Saül et de David ; montrez celui-ci dès sa jeunesse, sans arme et avec son habit de berger, vainqueur du fier géant Goliath. N’oubliez pas la gloire et la sagesse de Salomon ; faites-le décider entre les deux femmes qui se disputent un enfant : mais montrez-le tombant du haut de cette sagesse, et se déshonorant par la mollesse, suite presque inévitable d’une trop grande prospérité.

Faites parler les prophètes aux rois de la part de Dieu ; qu’ils lisent dans l’avenir comme dans un livre ; qu’ils paraissent humbles, austères, et souffrant de continuelles persécutions pour avoir dit la vérité. Mettez en sa place la première ruine de Jérusalem : faites voir le temple brûlé, et la ville sainte ruinée pour les péchés du peuple. Racontez la captivité de Babylone, où les Juifs pleuraient leur chère Sion. Avant leur retour, montrez en passant les aventures délicieuses de Tobie et de Judith, d’Esther et de Daniel. Il ne serait pas même inutile de faire déclarer les enfants sur les différents caractères de ces saints, pour savoir ceux qu’ils goûtent le plus. L’un préférerait Esther, l’autre Judith ; et cela exciterait entre eux une petite contention, qui imprimerait plus fortement dans leurs esprits ces histoires, et formerait leur jugement. Puis ramenez le peuple à Jérusalem, et faites-lui réparer ses ruines ; faites une peinture riante de sa paix et de son bonheur. Bientôt après, faites un portrait du cruel et impie Antiochus, qui meurt dans une fausse pénitence : montrez sous ce persécuteur les victoires des Machabées, et le martyre des sept frères du même nom.

Venez à la naissance miraculeuse de saint Jean. Racontez plus en détail celle de Jésus-Christ ; après quoi il faut choisir dans l’Evangile tous les endroits les plus éclatants de sa vie, sa prédiction dans le temple à l’âge de douze ans, son baptême, sa retraite au désert, et sa tentation ; la vocation de ses apôtres ; la multiplication des pains ; la conversion de la pécheresse qui oignit les pieds du Sauveur d’un parfum, les lava de ses larmes, et les essuya avec ses cheveux. Représentez encore la Samaritaine instruite, l’aveugle-né guéri, Lazare ressuscité, Jésus-Christ qui entre triomphant à Jérusalem : faites voir sa passion ; peignez-le sortant du tombeau. Ensuite il faut marquer la familiarité avec laquelle il fut quarante jours avec ses disciples, jusqu’à ce qu’ils le virent montant au ciel ; la descente du Saint-Esprit, la lapidation de saint Etienne, la conversion de saint Paul, la vocation du centenier Corneille. Les voyages des apôtres, et particulièrement de saint Paul, sont encore très agréables. Choisissez les plus merveilleuses des histoires des martyrs, et quelque chose en gros de la vie céleste des premiers Chrétiens : mêlez-y le courage des jeunes vierges, les plus étonnantes austérités des solitaires, la conversion des empereurs et de l’empire, l’aveuglement des Juifs, et leur punition terrible qui dure encore.

Toutes ces histoires, ménagées discrètement, feraient entrer avec plaisir dans l’imagination des enfants, vive et tendre, toute une suite de religion, depuis la création du monde jusqu’à nous, qui leur en donnerait de très nobles idées, et qui ne s’effacerait jamais. Ils verraient même, dans cette histoire, la main de Dieu toujours levée pour délivrer les justes et pour confondre les impies. Ils s’accoutumeraient à voir Dieu faisant tout en toutes choses, et menant secrètement à ses desseins les créatures qui paraissent le plus s’en éloigner. Mais il faudrait recueillir dans ces histoires tout ce qui donne les images les plus riantes et les plus magnifiques, parce qu’il faut employer tout pour faire en sorte que les enfants trouvent la religion belle, aimable et auguste, au lieu qu’ils se la représentent d’ordinaire comme quelque chose de triste et de languissant.

Outre l’avantage inestimable d’enseigner ainsi la religion aux enfants, ce fonds d’histoires agréables, qu’on jette de bonne heure dans leur mémoire, éveille leur curiosité pour les choses sérieuses, les rend sensibles aux plaisirs de l’esprit, fait qu’ils s’intéressent à ce qu’ils entendent dire des autres histoires qui ont quelque liaison avec celles qu’ils savent déjà. Mais, encore une fois, il faut bien se garder de leur faire jamais une loi d’écouter ni de retenir ces histoires, encore moins d’en faire des leçons réglées ; il faut que le plaisir fasse tout. Ne les pressez pas, vous en viendrez à bout, même pour les esprits communs ; il n’y a qu’à ne les point trop charger, et laisser venir leur curiosité peu à peu. Mais, direz-vous, comment leur raconter ces histoires d’une manière vive, courte, naturelle et agréable ? où sont les gouvernantes qui savent le faire ? À cela je réponds que je ne le propose qu’afin qu’on tâche de choisir des personnes de bon esprit pour gouverner les enfants, et qu’on leur inspire autant qu’on pourra cette méthode d’enseigner : chaque gouvernante en prendra selon la mesure de son talent. Mais enfin, si peu qu’elles aient d’ouverture d’esprit, la chose ira moins mal quand on les formera à cette manière, qui est naturelle et simple.

Elles peuvent ajouter à leurs discours la vue des estampes ou des tableaux qui représentent agréablement les histoires saintes. Les estampes peuvent suffire, et il faut s’en servir pour l’usage ordinaire : mais quand on aura la commodité de montrer aux enfants de bons tableaux, il ne faut pas le négliger ; car la force des couleurs, avec la grandeur des figures au naturel, frapperont bien davantage leur imagination.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Luke.2.41-Luke.2.52 — Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. Luke.2.42 — And when he was twelve years old, as they were going up according to the custom of the feast, Luke.2.43 — And when the days were completed, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and his parents did not know it. Luke.2.44 — But supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. Luke.2.45 — and not having found him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. Luke.2.46 — After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Luke.2.47 — And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers. Luke.2.48 — When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, 'Child, why have you treated us like this? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in anguish.' Luke.2.49 — And he said to them, 'Why were you seeking me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' Luke.2.50 — And they did not understand the word that he had spoken to them. Luke.2.51 — And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he was subject to them. And his mother kept all these things in her heart. Luke.2.52 — And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
  2. ↩Matt.4.18-Matt.4.22;Mark.1.16-Mark.1.20 — Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers — Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother — casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Matt.4.19 — And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.' Matt.4.20 — And at once they left their nets and followed him. Matt.4.21 — And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Matt.4.22 — And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Mark.1.16 — And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Mark.1.17 — And Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Mark.1.18 — And immediately, leaving their nets, they followed him. Mark.1.19 — And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, and they were in the boat mending the nets. Mark.1.20 — And immediately he called them, and leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, they went after him.
  3. ↩Luke.7.36-Luke.7.50 — Now one of the Pharisees kept asking him to eat with him, and when Jesus entered the Pharisee's house, he reclined at table. Luke.7.37 — And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner, having learned that he was reclining in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster flask of ointment Luke.7.38 — and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Luke.7.39 — Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is: that she is a sinner.' Luke.7.40 — And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, speak." Luke.7.41 — There were two debtors to a certain lender; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Luke.7.42 — Since neither of them had the means to repay him, he graciously canceled the debt for both. Which of them, therefore, will love him more? Luke.7.43 — Simon answered and said, 'I suppose the one to whom the more was forgiven.' And he said to him, 'You have judged correctly.' Luke.7.44 — Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Luke.7.45 — You gave me no kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I arrived. Luke.7.46 — You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Luke.7.47 — Therefore I tell you, her many sins are forgiven, as her great love shows. But the one who is forgiven little loves little. Luke.7.48 — And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Luke.7.49 — And those who were reclining with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?' Luke.7.50 — But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Notes

  1. 1 ↩"représentation naïve" rendered as natural/lifelike performance (classical French naïve = artless, unaffected), not pejorative "naive".
  2. 2 ↩Source reads "si l'enfant à quelque facilité"; translated as intended "a" (has), not preposition "à".
  3. 3 ↩"Ne faites pas semblant de l'entendre" taken as pedagogical feigned unfamiliarity (don't let on that you already know the story), pairing with the previous sentence's listener who "seems to want to learn" it.
  4. 4 ↩"naïve" rendered as "natural" (artless simplicity of style); "le naturel de chaque chose" as "the true character of each thing."
  5. 5 ↩peintures naturelles rendered as 'natural scenes' (vivid, lifelike depiction), not literal paintings.
  6. 6 ↩perpétuité rendered as 'lasting continuity' (religion's endurance through time), not mere endlessness.
  7. 7 ↩science here means formal/scholarly knowledge, not modern 'science' as a discipline; gens les plus grossiers = the coarsest/simplest minds, not moral baseness.
  8. 8 ↩sensiblement rendered as 'in a concrete, sensible way' (perceptible to sense and imagination), not merely 'noticeably'.
  9. 9 ↩Likely Claude Fleury's Catéchisme historique (late 17th c.), a popular narrative catechism Fénelon treats as a ready aid rather than heavy scholarly study.
  10. 10 ↩« Mettez en sa place » means set this episode in its proper place in the story sequence, not a spatial relocation.
  11. 11 ↩French « Tobie » is the book/figure Tobit (Tobias); rendered as Tobit.
  12. 12 ↩Preserved the French litotes « Il ne serait pas même inutile » (not even useless) rather than flattening it to plain 'useful'.
  13. 13 ↩« fausse pénitence » kept as 'false repentance' (not mere regret): Antiochus's late remorse is presented as insincere.
  14. 14 ↩Source has « prédiction » (prediction/prophecy). With « à l'âge de douze ans », the intended scene is almost certainly Jesus among the doctors (often « prédication » / teaching). Rendered as teaching; flag for review.
  15. 15 ↩« l'aveuglement des Juifs, et leur punition terrible qui dure encore » reflects Fénelon's early-modern supersessionist reading of Jewish history; rendered faithfully without softening.
  16. 16 ↩« suite de religion » rendered as “continuous course of religion” (a continuous religious storyline/history), not a formal curriculum of “lessons.”
  17. 17 ↩« images les plus riantes » rendered as “brightest … images” (cheerful, smiling, attractive images), not merely “funny.” « languissant » as “lifeless” for dull, drooping, spiritless religion.

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