The various intrinsic interest of these Rules is much enhanced by the curious story of their migration from an old Jesuit College in France to the copy-book of George Washington.  In Backer’s Jesuit Bibliography it is related that the “pensionnaires” of the College of La Fleche sent to those of the College at Pont-a-Mousson, in 1595, a treatise entitled:  “Bienseance de la Conversation entre les Hommes.”  The great Mussipontane father at that time was Leonard Perin (b. at Stenai 1567, d. at Besancon 1658), who had been a Professor of the Humanities at Paris.  By order of Nicolas Francois, Bishop of Toul, Father Perin translated the La Fleche treatise into Latin, adding a chapter of his own on behaviour at table.  The book, dedicated to the Bishop of Toul, was first printed (16 deg.) at Pont-a-Mousson in 1617, (by Car.  Marchand).  It was printed at Paris in 1638, and at Rouen in 1631; it was translated into Spanish, German, and Bohemian.  In 1629 one Nitzmann printed the Latin, German, and Bohemian translations in parallel columns, the German title being “Wolstand taglicher Gemainschafft mit dem Menschen.”  A comparison of this with the French edition of 1663 in the British Museum, on which I have had to depend, shows that there had been no alteration in Father Perin’s Latin, though it is newly translated.  This copy in the library of the British Museum was printed in Paris for the College of Clermont, and issued by Pierre de Bresche, “auec privilege du Roy.”  It is entitled:  “Les Maximes de la Gentillesse et de l’Honnestete en la Conversation entre les Hommes.  Communis Vitae inter homines scita urbanitas.  Par un Pere de la Compagnie de Jesus.”

In dedicating this new translation (1663) to the youth of Clermont, Pierre de Bresche is severe on the French of the La Fleche pensionnaires.  “It is a novelty surprising enough to find a very unpolished French book translated into the most elegant Latin ever met with.”  M. de Bresche declares that he was no longer able to leave so beautiful a work in such “abjection,” and had added a translation which preserves the purity of the French tongue, and is proportioned to the merit of the exquisite Latin expressions.  We can hardly suppose that Pierre de Bresche was eulogising his own work, but there is no other name in the book.  Possibly his criticism on the French of the original edition was only that of an editeur desiring to supplant it.  At any rate, as Father Perin wrote the elegant Latin we cannot doubt that the chapter he added to the book was in scholarly French.

The old book of the Jesuit “pensionnaires,”—­which, had they not ignored woman, might be called the mother of all works on Civility,—­is charming as well as curious.  It duly opens with a chapter of religious proprieties, at mass, sacrament, sermon, and grace at meat.  The Maxims of secular civility open with the second chapter, and it will be seen that they are for the gentry.  They are mainly for youths whose environments are portrayed in the