A SERMON AT THE FUNERAL OF THE HIGH & MIGHTY PRINCE, HENRY De La TOUR D' AUVERGNE, Viscount of TURENNE, Marshal General of FRANCE; Colonel General of the LIGHT HORSE, and Governor of the Upper and Lower LIMOSIN.  
Preached December 15, 1675.  
By CLAUDE FRANCIS, MINISTRIER.  
Englished out of FRENCH.  
LONDON, Printed by W.G. and are to be Sold by Moses Pitt at the Sign of the Angel in S. Paul's Churchyard. 1677.   
2 Sam. 3.32, 33, 38. 
— And all the People wept.  
And the King lamented, and said, Died he as a Fool dieth?  
— Know ye not that there is a Prince and a Great Man fallen this day in Israel? 
'Tis the Death of Abner General of the Army, whom David lamented so. 'Tis in the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the Princpal Man; and in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the great Captain.   
WHen I observe these Walls hung with Mourning, and the profound silence which attends this mournful Ceremony, I see plainly, Gentlemen, that you are assembled here to mix your tears with the tears of all France, and I conceive myself to be but the interpreter of your grief. But when I cast my eyes upon the Trophies which attend the Corpse, and upon those marks of Grandeur which present to our sight a kind of Triumph in the midst of the very Shades of Death, I am sensible that you come not here barely to weep at the remembrance of a Hero we so lately lost; the memory of Heroes requires somewhat more than this. To the demonstrations of an universal affliction, we should add public Elogics, and apparent signs of our particular veneration; a weak, but a due acknowledgement of what they merit of us.  
How happy should I be, gentlemans, if being chosen this day to publish the Encomiums of so great a man, I was but able to express one part of your thoughts, and but in some measure to represent an Idea of what you yourselves conceive of his worth! But how is it possible, but to omit something in the infinite number of matters which offer themselves in a crowd to my Fancy? How can I confine within the narrow Bounds of a Discourse, the Elogium of a Person whose Glory fills the whole Earth? 'Tis rare to see a man's Wit upon such an occasion, to reach the Sentiments of his Mind: And this am I most abundantly sensible of, being now to speak the Elogium of Monsieur de Turenne.  
When I call to mind the wonderful number of great Actions which he has done, my eyes are dazzled, and my Fancy is at loss. As I know not where for to begin, I see not where to end. If his Military Virtues surprise me, his Christian Virtues ravish me. 
An non proprius virtutum nitor splendorem armorum illustravit? Cassiod. ep. 5. var.  If I contemplate him as a Great Hero in War, I look upon him likewise as Great a Hero in Christianity; and in the midst of that admiration, which so many Virtues, so many Great Actions, so many Miracles both of Wisdom and Valour, occasion, I must say with the Prophet, Know ye that he whom we lament, was one of the greatest and wisest Captains in his Age? Num ignoratis quoniam Princeps & Maximus cecidit? Great by the splendour of his Birth, and his Immortal Actions; but greater yet in the sight of God, by the Innocence of his Life. 'Tis this last Virtue, which makes the Praises of Heroes to be allowed of in Holy Places; for without it, methinks, Custom could not have introduced Funeral Ceremonies to any other end, 
Mors mater moeroris usurpatur ad gloriam. Bern. Serm. 26. in Cant.  but to flatter the living by the Eulogiums of the dead.  
But a thought so little Christianlike, 
The Cardinal of Bovillon. Non tam clari sanguinis colore, quam virtutum succo hujus vestimenta purpurascunt. D. Ambr. in Hexant.  could never possess the mind of that Prince, who has caused the paying of these Devoirs to the Memory of his Uncle, and who is now as Noble by the Purple with which the Church hath honoured him, as by the Splendour of his Birth. He designs not here, to show how great he was born, but to testify his Piety. Let us endeavour then to imitate him in so holy a Design, and let us not so much admire all the other Virtues of Monsieur de Turenne, as that alone, which is able to render him acceptable in the eyes of the Sovereign Lord of all things.  
If true it is, that Nature gives in the Blood the first dispositions to Courage, who ever had by Birth greater dispositions to Virtue, than the Prince whom we are now speaking of? The glorious Blood which descended to him from his Ancestors, was, as 'twere, the original Source of his Heroic Valour. He is descended from a House, whose Royal Alliances have communicated to his Ancestors by fifteen Princesses all the Greatness of all the Sovereign Powers in Europe. He is descended in a direct and Male Line from the Ancient Sovereign Counts of Auvergne, 
Justel's Hist. of the House of Auvergne.  Dukes of Aquitane, true Heir both to the Virtue and Glory of those Princes, who were the Wonders of their several Ages.  
A Birth so advantageous did inspire into him from his very Infancy a strong desire to imitate, 
Penè adolescens Glorie maturitatem occupavit. Plin. epist, 1.4.  nay, to surpass the great examples, which they had left him. He began to bear Arms at an Age when he had not as yet strength to manage them. The memory only of so many Glorious actions which those of his Family had done, did put him upon great things; but the reputation in Arms, which the Prince of Orange, his Uncle by the Mother's side, had gained, did yet more vigorously excite him to deserve a share in his Conquests. He made the first Essays of his Valour under that Prince, and learning there to obey, he was soon qualified to command. 'Twas his own desire to pass all the degrees before he arrived to that great Command of a General; in all which different Employs, he acquitted himself most honourably. To gain that profound understanding, in which he did outvie all other Captains, he was in person in threescore several Sieges, and six set battles, before that he commanded in Chief His Majesty's Armies. What he did upon every of those occasions, do very well merit Eulogiums; but his Actions since he was a General, carry so much of Splendour and Glory with them, that a man cannot fix his eyes upon what preceded.  
Let us omit then all the testimonies of Valour and Prudence, which he gave before Casal, at Turin, at Quires, at the passage of the Po near Montcallier, at Rousillon, in Lorraine, and in many other places, which I do not mention, because I would not distract your Fancy with the almost infinite multitude of his private actions. Let us make a little stop at the marvellous effects of his Courage, when being sent to command the Army of the Mareshal de Guebriant, which the Death of so sage a Commander had dissipated, he reestablished it in a very little time, and put it in so good a condition, that soon after it made that famous Conquest of Fribourg, to which he himself did in no small measure contribute; if you will take the judgement of that great Prince, who then commanded the French Troops. 
The Prince of Conde, than Duke d' Enguien.  He so well knew how to improve this Success of our Arms, that all the neighbouring parts had a perfect dread of him; and in one Campagne only, what by the swiftness of his Victories, what by the defeating of four great Generals, and what by the taking of Eight or Ten Towns, he did constrain the Emperor to conclude at Munster that Peace which was so much for the Glory of France, and did secure the repose and quiet of our Allies. But scarce had these great Successes given us hopes of forcing Spain to comply with this Peace, but those hopes were entirely blasted by a Civil War, which was near tearing the very Bowels of our Kingdom, in that very instant that 'twas rising to the highest prosperity.  
Is it not possible to bury these troubles in oblivion? Why should the Glory of our Hero be mixed with our misfortunes? But We should do wrong to his memory, if in taking no notice of our Disorders, we should omit to mention the most important Services which he then performed for his Prince, and his immortal Actions at Villeneuve, S. George, at Gergeau, at Bleneau, and many other places, where both his Valour and Prudence did appear with the greater splendour, for that he had to deal with the greatest Captains in that Age; for without hazarding any thing, in a Conjuncture so perilous to the State, he knew (if a man may say so) how to force Victory to follow him, and to attend upon the honest party: Which did oblige one of the bravest Queens that France ever had, to say of him what is higher than all our Panegyrics, to wit, that Monsieur de TURENNE had three several times preserved the Crown to the King her Son. These very Services occasioned the greatest Monarch in the world, as he was passing by one of those places not long since, to say, Here is that place where Monsieur de TURENNE saved both my State and my Person. Is there any Subject that can boast of a Glory which parallels this? What satisfaction is it to a man, to see his Merit crowned by the acknowledgement of a King, who is himself the wonder of the World? A recompense worthy of so matchless fidelity. How often have we seen him, with the Remains of an Army that has been either defeated or dissipated, to repair the faults of others, to revenge himself of Fortune, to make up to the Enemy victoriously, and to force from them those Spoils which they but just before had taken? A General should of himself see all things, and penetrate into Futurities, while his Army discerns nothing but what is present and directly before their eyes. If he be not a Soul to that great Body, if he doth not regulate their Movings, if he be not at the same time every where, and if he understands not how to retrieve the most unfortunate Accidents, he runs the Risque of losing entirely his Reputation, how successful soever he hath been in preceding Campagnes. But observe upon such occasions, the Air, the Disposition and the Manners of the Hero we now are speaking of. He had not only Courage and Wisdom himself, but he could inspire them into others. Those that were under his Conduct, he could make them both wise and valiant. His Soldiers never counted the number of their Enemies; they outbraved the illness of Seasons, Fatigues, and Dangers. Equally bold and wise in all that he undertook; he was never mistaken in his apprehensions, never at a loss in his Conduct or Commands. In one of his actions, you might see all that Parts, Courage, Experience and Resolution could contribute; conducting all things to their ends, with as much Judgement, as Address and Vigour. All his Orders, all his Words, all his Steps were so many admirable Lessons both of Wisdom and Valour. In the midst of the mightiest Successes, suspecting Dame Fortune, he foresaw every thing, and provided against all things, reflections upon things passed never diminishing his Valour. As soon as ever he advanced into his Enemy's Territories, he was thoughtful to secure his retreat upon occasion, but never declined any thing which in prudence could have been executed. By his wise Conduct, how oft hath he shown, that the number of Soldiers was not always the main strength of an Army, that the advantage of ground was not at all times an advantage; that there was an art to conquer numerous Armies with but a small handful of men; that Ingenuity might render the very incommodiousness of places useful? How many times have we seen him by his presence only, keep off a Deluge of Nations, which were coming thundering upon our Frontiers? He was acquainted with the art of disappointing all their Projects, and would retrieve affairs in such Conjunctures where you would judge him abandoned of all manner of succour: For though his Wisdom never trusted Fortune with any thing where he could be secure, yet never did man dare more, or push his Erterprises farther, when he found a necessity of relying upon Chance, and of betaking himself to rash attempts, which are often attended with great Successes, and sometimes are the effect both of Wisdom and Conduct. By this means, he did acquire so much esteem and reputation amongst his Soldiers, that he found them not only full of obedience, but full of desire, of zeal, of passion, of transport to follow his Orders. When he undertook any great thing, they who were engaged in it with him, did submit themselves with all manner of respect to his Commands, and never doubted the event under the Conduct of that Chief, whose reputation alone had no few times effected greater things than the strength of Armies.  
'Twas of him, that the great King, whose Conduct and Valour at this day are most justly admired by all Europe, the true Heir of the Charlemagnes and Holy Lewis, did desire to learn the great Art of War. What progress did so marvellous a Scholar make presently under such a Master! He was soon able to dictate to himself Lessons, how to conquer and subdue the most renowned Captains. In a little time, had he need of nothing but his own Genius, to overthrow his Enemies, to pass Rivers, take Towns, and give Laws to every thing. Monsieur de TURENNE knew well how to second him in that glorious swiftness. Victory never left him; his Winter-quarters were Marches and Attaques, his Encampments Fights and Battles, his Retreats Victories, his Delays Erterprises, his very Repose Action. Triumph succeeded Triumph; he did that in one Campagne, which another would have found hard to do in a great many Ages. Let Greece and old Rome spend their Titles and Eulogiums in favour of those Worthies they gave birth to; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pausan. Duo Fulmina Belli Scipiadas. 6 Aeneid. Liberatori Reipublicae, Fundatoríque quietis. Inscript. in arcu Constantini.  let them style them the Terror of Kings and Nations, Thunderbolts, and Gods of War, Takers of Towns, Pillars of the State, Defenders of their Liberty. All these Eulogiums are due to the Glory of Monsieur de TURENNE; and we are obliged to engrave them upon his Tomb, as the just Monuments of our acknowledgement. His Troops had a general confidence in him, which could not have been acquired by an Understanding less profound than his. That Virtue never deserted him in the midst of the greatest dangers. He judged of all the Events of War with that penetrating eye, and with that certainty, that at the opening of a Campagne, he would make you a Model of all his own Designs, and would foresee to all those of his Enemies. He knew all the Posts that they could take. He prevented their Motions, he divined all their Wiles and Stratagems, and pretending to be ignorant of them, he caught them in the very Snares they laid for him.  
This has he done several times in these two last Campagnes, when all the Powers of the Empire in Arms against us, having made an imaginary Division of our Provinces, did cross the Rhine with seventy thousand men, thinking to swallow up with their multitude the small number of Troops we had in Alsatia, for the securing our Frontiers. But Monsieur de Turenne was at the Head of that small handful. What does that great man do? He presently takes Posts so advantageous, that the Enemies did never dare to attaque him: He lets that puissant Army consume itself, partly by the misunderstanding among the Commanders, and partly by its want of being well disciplined.  
He makes a sudden March, and falls upon them with so much surprise and vigour; that he forceth them shamefully to repass that River, upon whose Banks they had formed the empty projects of their Conquests. River, so many times a witness of his Glory, was it not hard that thou shouldst be so near when he died? And that a fatal Shot should in thy sight snatch him away from the Arms of Victory? If the just regret at a loss so considerable, did but permit me to give you a Relation at large of the Actions of this last Campagne, 'twould be easy for me, Gentlemen, to show you the Valour and Wisdom of our Hero to be like the shining of those Stars, which do cast the more glittering Light the nearer they are to their Setting. What could I not say of the Industry and Patience with which he has confounded the Art, the Wiles, and the Understanding of the General of the Imperial Forces? All his Achievements were attended with Glorious Events. If he did but enter into Alsatia, he drove the Enemies from thence, and retook all the Towns; if he passed the Rhine, he created a terror throughout Suabia and Franconia; if he moved towards the Palatinate, he secured Philipsburgh and the Neighbouring Towns; if he came to the right, he cleared Brisac; he assured us the Passage and Commerce of Strasburg; when he went to the left, he every where victorious, every where wise, every where successful himself, did observe the Generals of the Imperial Troops and Confederate Forces fearful, trembling, dismayed, and unresolved. In fine, our Enemies astonished at his wise Conduct, could not think of him but with a terror mixed with admiration; and they were forced to own that he alone was as formidable as his whole Army. The same that S. Ambrose said of that Valiant Machabee, who dying in the midst of a Victory, which was due to him alone, was buried among his Triumphs. 
Lib. 1. de Offic. c. 40.  Tanto virtutis spectaculo defixi hostes sic trepidaverunt, ut impares se omnes unius virtuti arbitrarentur.  
You were near seeing of him to have triumphed over all the Forces of the Empire. That glorious day was at hand: He himself prevented it. But just when that Victory which he step by step had managed, could not possibly have escaped him, your eyes, your mournful eyes did see him, and in him our hopes, with one chance shot cut off. Nevertheless, afflicted as you are, with the extremest grief, at the thought of so direful an Accident, remember that you have learned from this great Man, and from the example of all your Ancestors, that no man's condition is more glorious, than his, who dies shedding his Blood for the Service of his King, and the Honour of his Country; more especially when his Death is attended with all those Circumstances, which Religion and a sincere Piety require of a Christian Hero. For then we may according to the Gospel, say, that it is not barely honourable, but happy.  
This is, Gentlemen, the most proper Subject of Consolation that we can propose to ourselves, in case of so universal a Misfortune. In vain have Valour and Wisdom raised the Reputation of those, whose Memory we honour, if Piety and all Christian Virtues do not attract the Eyes of Heaven to behold those persons with favour. The admiration which they get, let it come from what other cause it will, is but like a false Light which glitters, dazzles, disappears, and is lost for ever in the eternal shades of Death. 'Tis Piety, Gentlemen, which comprehends in it all other Virtues; and it is upon that Commendation of Monsieur de Turenne, that the Character I now bear, the Place I now speak in, and the great things that I have to say, do permit me to enlarge.  
There is nothing, Gentlemen, so opposite to the Life of a Christian, as a Court-Life, and the noise of War. One must have a great command of himself, if declining the Enchantments of the one, and the Violences of the other, he preserves his own Innocency; and 'tis that just government of a man's self, which makes your true Heroes. 'Tis a kind of Prodigy, 
Psal. 70. Nulla fides pietasque viris qui castra sequuntur. Exeat Aulâ qui vult esse pius.  saith the Sacred Oracle, to find Piety there; nay, the very Heathens themselves have been of opinion, that the conversation of either Court or Camp was enough to infect all Virtues. Upon these Considerations, I cannot but admire the Hero, whose Funeral Rites we are now solemnising, as a person much the more extraordinary, in regard he was educated in the midst of the Vanities of the Court, and had spent his whole Life in the exercise of War, but yet had inviolably preserved an invincible sincerity, amongst the Intrigues of one, and the Chances of the other. His Reason alone, always sage, always Mistress of his Inclinations, as well as his Thoughts, began to effect in him, what Grace does in the most Holy and most Religious Souls. Let me behold what part of him I will, I find in him nothing but Prodigies; but upon an equal observation, of his Military and Christian Virtues, I discover in the latter a greater fond of Light, and much a more solid Glory. How fond men deceive themselves, 
Filii hominum úsque quò gravi cord? ut quid diligitis vanitatem & quaeritis mendacium? Psal. 4.  who seek a counterfeit glory in the apparences of your imaginary Grandeurs? Know ye that 'tis Christian Virtue only, which makes our Glory real; that upon the sight of such Virtue, all other disappears as the Shadows of the Night before the Light of the Day; and that in the presence of God none of the Grandeurs of the World remain, but what this Virtue communicates to us. These happy impressions were so far advanced into the Heart of our Hero, that he was an Enemy to those vain Passions of Interest and False Glory, which are Masters almost of all men: The Glory of his King, the Good of the State, and how faithfully to pay his Devoirs, were the only Objects of his thoughts.  
The Devoirs which men render to Princes, proceed ordinarily from two Sources; either from a disinteressed respect, where Noble Souls consider their Prince as the Image of God, whose Authority he holds and exercises over his Subjects; or from a lose Principle, which puts Mercenary Souls upon sacrificing of every thing to the making of their private Fortunes, and to make use of Justice and Religion purely to serve their own Interest. How far was Monsieur de Turenne from these dissolute Artifices? He made his Duty a kind of Religion; he never appeared greater, than by contemning all things that Fortune and Interest were able to supply him with? He contenting himself to merit every thing, never asked any thing; being of opinion that the esteem of his Prince, the testimony of his Conscience, and the Glory of having done well, were sufficient recompenses of Virtue. Not knowing how to be idle, he scorned to flatter Fortune; so far was he from offering Incense to her, like a great many Mercenary Souls, who make her a Divinity, that he thought it beneath him to court her. If she offered to leave him, he forced her to follow him, and to accompany him every where; and showed that he who has Wisdom and Courage united, is above her reach. The love of Truth and Justice so regulated his Actions, his Conduct, and his Thoughts, that he only advised with Reason and Honour. In fine, I find him in every thing just, wise, generous, honourable, obliging to his very Enemies, whom he would prefer before his Friends to Offices and Employs, if he judged them more worthy.  
You, Gentlemen, who have been faithful companions to him in his Labours, and are undeniable witnesses of his Equity, do know, that as sensible as he was of the Amity and Services that were paid him, yet when it was left to him to dispose of the Charges and Preferments, he thought no farther than to perform His Majesty's intentions, and to give Merit its due. His hands were so pure and so clean, that refusing the most allowable and most lawful advantages that War could offer, he never reserved to himself any other fruits of his Conquests, than the Glory of having done well. He freely gave to his Soldiers, all that a successful Campagne could put into their hands; and loading them with Spoils which he took from the Enemies, he made of them so many living Trophies of his Liberality and brave Actions. He was better pleased with the Title of a Father to his Soldiers, than with that of a Conqueror; being more satisfied to be seen in the midst of them as a partaker of their Fortune, than the ancient Triumphers were amongst all their pomp, on those festival Days when they made their Entry into Rome like so many Divinities. Our Allies often confiding more in the Faith of his Word, than on the most solemn Treaties, have continued faithful to our Interests, without being jealous of our prosperities; for they did assure themselves, that this great man would make use of the highest advantages for no other purpose but the public good, and that in the most lucky successes he would have a sincere moderation. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. c. 1. Mag. Moral.  For sure, Gentlemen, true Valour is not an unbridled Passion of domineering over every body. 'Tis a Virtue which has its Rules and Motives grounded upon Justice, and which follows in every thing the Conduct of Reason. 'Tis this moderation, which puts a man upon wise Erterprises, and judicious Wars; without it, the greatest of men are but rash, though they chance to be successful. What if they fill the whole world with the noise of their Name? What if they conquer Provinces? What if they subdue whole Nations? Have they done any more than those Tyrants did, who insolently attributed to themselves the Name of the Scourges of the Almighty, after that they had ransacked the whole Earth? The Successes which attend those lucky rashnesses, are more due to the Fantastic Caprichio of Fortune, than to their Valour. If that love of Reputation which emboldens men, if that heat which sets men a fight, be not tempered with the love of Justice, if it be not regulated by the Laws of Equity, 'tis but a barbarous thirst after humane Blood, more proper to make Usurpers than just Conquerors.  
'Tis that love of Justice, which has made our Generous and disinteressed Prince appear to you so moderate amidst the most fortunate Successes. You, Gentlemen, are all well satisfied of that great Truth, which a Sacred Oracle hath pronounced, that the noblest of Victories is that which a man gains over himself; if he would know how to triumph over his Enemies, first he should learn how to rule his Passions; 
Melior est patiens viro forti, & qui dominatur animo suo, expugnatore urbium. Prov. 18. Miaus est, quod i●li bellious labour quàm quod Pax Christiana subjecit. S. Leo, Serm. in Nat. Apost.  and that 'tis more glorious to subdue his own Pride, than to pull down Walls and take Towns. So may I say, that he did never gain a more glorious Victory, than that which rendered him Master of all his Passions, and has so often in the midst of the noise of War, afforded him all the sweetnesses of an inward Peace. He, at the Head of Armies, in the midst of his Conquests, at his return from those wonderful Campagnes where he struck astonishment and terror into the remotest parts, did appear humble and modest, and far from adding to the greatness of his Exploits, or suffering it in Sycophants, would scarce endure to hear his true and just praises. When he observed others seized with admiration at so great Events, not being able to lessen them in his Discourse without doing wrong to Truth, he would give all the Glory of it to him who is the Author of all good, using these Christian words, That on such occasions he ought to think of doing his Duty, and 'twas the God of Armies that made a fortunate or unfortunate Success to attend it.  
Will ye not say, Gentlemen, that I speak the Elogium rather of a Saint than of a Prince or a General of an Army? But what will ye say, when I add, that all this is but a shadow of his Christian Virtues; and that this Piety, which was the Soul and Principle of all his Actions, was the pure effect of his own natural disposition? Before that he was sensible of the impressions of Grace, he acted thus.  
We can very rarely observe in the world persons advanced above others, whether by Fortune, or their own Merit, to be generally beloved, till that they are dead: As if there was a necessity to cease to be, or else to be unfortunate, for to avoid the aspersions of Envy. Nevertheless, we may say, that Monsieur de Turenne has conquered even Envy itself, in the last part of his Life. His Glory was mounted to so high a pitch, that one might compare it to the Sun, which when at the highest, hardly leaves any shadow upon the Earth. He was the object of the Esteem, of the Love, and of the Veneration of all Europe. He was looked upon as the Prodigy and the Wonder of his Age. Every body seemed transported when they talked of the greatness of his Genius, his Labours, his Exploits, his wonderful Successes, and his wise Conduct. The Princes both of Germany and Italy coveted his Picture, and Travellers that came amongst us, went home satisfied, when they had seen that great man.  
Who can sufficiently express that ardent zeal with which he burned for the interest of Religion? In the midst of his Victories, he would be thinking of the Conquests of Faith; he formed the Models and the Designs of it; he employed for that purpose all his Estate, Care and Credit. This man, in whom the whole State reposed the care of their Frontiers, and the public safety, was as industrious in promoting the progress of Faith and Religion, as in advancing the progress of his Masters Arms. Shall I be afraid after this, to say, that we have not seen more zealous or more pure Faith in Israel? I mean not at Court, where 'tis rare to meet with that sincere submission to the light of the Gospel. I mean not in Armies, where Piety does so seldom appear. I mean in the Sanctuary, amongst the most Holy and Religious Souls. 
Matth. 8.  Amen, dico vobis non inveni tantam fidem in Israel. And, Gentlemen, if the Son of God hath thought the Faith of a Captain a fit Subject for his Eulogiums and Admirations, sure we have no reason then to refuse the paying of the just tribute of Praise to the Piety and Zeal of Monsieur de Turenne, which is the only recompense that he can receive from us.  
The Reputation and Glory of his Arms, never made him forget his Duty to God. He worshipped him as the only Author of his Triumphs; and duly every Morning offered to him his Spirit and his Heart, as the Victims of his Faith and Obedience. The Sacrifices of the Spirit and the Heart are the most agreeable Sacrifices that we can make to the Almighty. We discharge ourselves of these Duties by Faith and Religion. Faith is the Sacrifice of the Spirit, and Piety the Sacrifice of the Heart; and if one of these Sacrifices be a sincere resignation of our Spirit to the Spirit of God, who is the Sovereign Understanding, and the primitive Truth; the other is a voluntary offering of all the Motions of our heart to the orders of his Providence. 'Tis to the Piety and to the Faith of Monsieur de Turenne, that we own these great Successes, which so many persons have attributed to his Valour and his prudent Conduct. 
Exod. 27.  He was at the same time both the Moses and the Joshua of his Army; he both charged the Enemy in the Field, and prayed to Heaven too to bless his party with Victory. One might say of his Camp, as of those Heavenly Troops which came to the succour of Jacob, that 'twas the Camp of God; 
Castra Dei sunt bec. Gen. 32.2.  for he had purged his Army of those Debaucheries that are committed in others; and had established there a due Worship and public Prayers. He was in his Tent, as those ancient Patriarches, who encamping under their Pavilions, looked upon this Life but as a place of passage, which they were always ready to leave. In the midst of his Victories, and his greatest Successes, he would be vehemently desiring of Heaven, and solitary in his Tent, after that he had given his Orders for the securing his Camp, he in the midst of the noise of his Army would be making of his inward peace, and conversing with the Almighty. 'Tis thou alone, Great God that canst effect in the World such surprising Prodigies. They are the effects of thy Grace and thy Mercy. 
Christus milites suos quos in personam Ducis, attollit inter acies quaerit. Ennod. orat. dicenda Maximo.  Thou selects Souls brought up in the tumults of War, to make them patterns of Virtue and Holiness. Thy Goodness makes them sensible of the Divine beams of Grace, to confound the dissolute Notions of those who think War and Piety to be inconsistent. This man, who always lived at Court, and in Armies, where Virtue is so little acquainted, and holy matters so much slighted, did die the best of Christians. 'Tis the thought of this, Gentlemen, which removes all our fears. Though his Death was sudden, yet he was not unprovided; and I may say of him, what the Divine Apostle said of an ancient Patriarch who was snatched away in a Whirlwind, 
Gen. 5.  that his Conscience and his Piety bore him witness that he was acceptable to God. Ante translationem enim testimonium habuit placuisse Deo. 
Ad Heb. 11.   
But how can a man keep from shedding of tears at the remembrance of so direful a death? Our Hero now ceases to be, and there remains with us nothing but empty Ashes, and a Name pleasing in our Ears. Glory, Grandeur, Authority, Esteem, Reputation, are ye all so inconsiderable, as not to be able to prevent Heroes from dying like the most vulgar sort of men?  
Methinks, Gentlemen, this is the Fatal Moment that we received the News of the Death of that great man. The Consternation than was universal, and our Grief was a long while before it had power to break its silence, and open a passage for our Sighs. The general Astonishment which such doleful Tidings did disperse throughout all France, made us sensible of the greatness of our loss, before we had leisure to think of the mischievous Consequences it might make us dread. The tears of the whole Army, the cries and mourning of the Soldiers, and the concern they showed to revenge his death, though at the expense of their own lives, did sufficiently demonstrate that they had lost their Father as well as their General. Ye sad, but glorious Remains of that great man, Ashes of his Body half burnt with that Thunderbolt which snatched him from amongst his Triumphs, go ye and receive the last Honours, and the just Marks of the grief, of the esteem, and of the sense of the greatest of Kings. The Tomb which is to enclose you, what glorious Titles does it bear of so many brave Actions? Go and divide this Honour amongst those great Captains, whom Valour, 
Alphonse de Brenne. Bertrand du Queseline. Lewis de Sancerre, Lewis de Evereux, Arnaud de Barbaran, Guillaume du Chastel, buried at S. Denis.  Wisdom and Piety did so much distinguish in their Lifetimes, that they remain yet distinguished since their Deaths, by those proud Monuments, which the Magnificence of our Monarches has caused to be erected for them, in the Temple appointed for the Burial of Kings. But, Gentlemen, might not this Prince hope for a more solid recompense of his Labours, than the Glory of a vain Tomb? So many wonderful Actions, are they not able to procure him a further advantage, than a cold Marble decked with the Adornments of Vanity? Then he might say with the most afflicted and the wisest of Kings; that nothing would remain of him but a Magnific Silence, a vain Ostentation of Eulogiums and Specious Titles to cover the emptiness of his Tomb. 
Job 3.14.  Dormiens silerem & somno meo requiescerem cum Regibus & Consulibus Terrae, qui aedificant sibi Solitudines. They are but Solitudes, that the Powers of the Earth build in erecting of Tombs, since that their Glory and Grandeur accompany not the Persons, and there remains nothing of them but dumb Shadows. Monsieur de Turenne has thought of a more solid Glory. He entered so often into the bosom of Eternity in his wise reflections, he was so often raised above the pitch of those foolish Ideas with which vain men are pleased, that I date to say, that his Soul has acquired an eternal happiness, by the Innocence of his Life, and the Holiness of his Manners. He might have lived longer for the Glory of France, for the Repose of the People, for the Reputation of our Arms, and for the Security of our Frontiers. But what could he have added to his own Glory? Go then, Generous Soul! go, and enjoy that profound peace which you have so vehemently desired. You have sought it already in the midst of the great successes of a Campagne so glorious, and you have made haste to secure the repose of France, that you might entirely apply yourself to the thoughts of Eternity in the peaceable repose of a more quiet Life. 
Pretiosa Mors haec quae emit immortalitatem pretio sanguinis Cypr. Epist. 9  But in the very instant that your wishes were upon being perfectly fulfilled, you met with Death in the bosom of Glory. Our Enemies themselves did commend you, at the same time that we lamented you. Both Rome and Vienna paid you the Devoirs of Esteem and Piety, when Paris rendered you the Devoirs of their Acknowledgements. Our Churches, 
Quam opinionem nemo unquam mortalium assequi potuit sine eximia virtutis gloria. Aug. l. 3. De Civ. Dei. c. 15.  our Sanctuaries, the Tribunals of Justice, the Circles, the Academies, and the Public Oratories have rung with your Praises; both Prose and Verse have consecrated the remembrance of your glorious Actions in all the polite Languages. They have said the very same things of you throughout all Europe, as have been said throughout all France. From the moment of his Death, all our Joys have been changed into Torrents of Tears; our public Acclamations, into a sorrowful Silence; and our Songs of Victory and Triumph, into most lamentable Sighs. To conclude, the People have mourned, and the King Himself hath shed tears, and that incomparable Monarch did make the best Elogium that could be made of your Glory, when he publicly said, that we had lost the wisest Captain, and the Chief man in this Age. Flevit omnis Populus, plangénsque Rex, & lugens ait, Nequaquam ut mori solent ignavi mortuus est. Num ignoratis quoniam Princeps, & Maximus cecidit? Not being able to add to this Elegy, which has proceeded from the mouth of Two great Kings, I hold my peace, and leave to History the care of making the Panegyric, and communicating to Posterity the Wonders of this Hero.  
FINIS.