BOURDALOUE, LOUIS

born Aug. 20, 1632, Bourges, France died May 13, 1704, Paris French Jesuit, held by many to have been the greatest of the 17th-century court preachers, who in those days filled a public role comparable to that of the modern newspaper. Bourdaloue became a Jesuit in 1648 and very soon manifested his gift for oratory. After preaching in the provinces, he was sent in 1669 to Paris, where he preached in the Church of Saint Louis. He soon earned the title of king of preachers and preacher of kings. He was inevitably contrasted with his contemporary Bishop Jacques-Bnigne Bossuet, though their styles and matter were very different. Bourdaloue always wrote out his sermons, which were careful logical expositions with insight into human nature. He never flattered his congregations, but his beautiful voice kept them spellbound. Bossuet, whose sermons depended to some extent on the stimulus of the occasion, has been called a lyrical preacher in contrast with Bourdaloue's more carefully prepared dialectical expositions. Yet Bossuet reads better today than Bourdaloue, who owed much to the beauty of his voice and the attraction of his personality.