Fénelon wrote while incarnated his masterpiece: «Telemachus» (1699), a kind of a Epic poetry, one of the best books about Education, a true «code of moral» which prepared the future king of France, transforming his aggressive and vicious character and taking him, through the fiction of a long voyage, to cautious against excessive luxury, flatteries, the temptations of despotism, the spirit of conquest, ambition and war. Fénelon was the preceptor of Duke of Burgundy (1682–1712), Louis XIV’s grandson and heir to the throne, duke who died young.  

This book by Fénelon was very important to Rivail, who translated The Three first books of Telemachus to German, adding comments and notes, historic translation published in February 1830, with 220 pages, with the complete name of:  

«Les Trois Premiers Livres de Télémaque» en allemand, contenant la traduction littérale des deux premiers et le texte français et allemand du troisième, avec des notes sur les racines des mots; suivis d’un précis des formules grammaticales et d’une table des verbes irréguliers; à l’usage des maisons d’éducation; par H. L. D. Rivail, membre de plusieurs sociétés savantes, Paris, Bobée et Hingray Éditeurs (“The Three first books of Telemachus” in German, containing the literal translation of the Two First Books and the French and German version of the Third one, with translation notes; followed by an appendix of grammatical forms and a table of irregular verbs; for the use of schools; by H. L. D. RIVAIL, member of various Wise Societies, Paris, Bobée and Hingray Publishers).(2) 

It is also Nice to point out – and we can never forget about that – that the Compiler Allan Kardec (1804-1869) was the reincarnation of JAN HUSS (Husinec [Bohemia], today Czech Republic, 1369 – Constance, Germany, 06/07/1415), a Czech martyr reformer of the language of his country, as a lexicographer emeritus, being also TRANSLATOR TO CZECH. So, since many centuries ago this notable Spirit has been approaching the Grammar questions and translations, with his expertise.  

We say, with Wantuil/Thiesen, that it’s possible that translation by «Telemachus» has, in certain aspects, enhanced even more Rivail’s character, preparing him later to be the Compiler of a Doctrine that would revolutionize the religious, philosophical and scientific thought of Humanity, when it comes to the human being. By the way, we had the honor to translate from Portuguese and French to Spanish (900 pages), the aforementioned book, entitled: Allan Kardec - el Educador y el Codificador, (3) also in 2 vol., whose summary we present now, with the content of various letters and rare manuscripts by Rivail and Kardec.

Fénelon

This is the literary name of François de Salignac de la Mothe, French writer who was born at the Castle of Fénelon, in Périgord, on August 6, 1651. He was ordained a preacher in 1675 and started running an institution that had as an objective to reeducate the Protestant youngsters converted to Catholicism.

He was sent by the king, in the quality of missionary, to the regions of Aunis and Saintonge. His Treaty of Education of Youngsters, who came out in 1687, book dedicated to the Duke of Beauvillier’s daughters, which earned him the appointment as preceptor of the Duke of Burgundy. At age 42 he is elected academic and at 44 he is archbishop at Cambrai. From the publication of his book Explanation of the sayings of the saints on, in 1697, he started refusing the official graces. Two years later, the Holy See condemns the book and he is deprived from his titles and pensions. He is also rejected by Louis XIV who discovers criticism about his government in Fénelon’s book The Adventures of Telemachus, also in 1699.

Even exiled from his diocese, he doesn’t stop writing. And in the period from 1700 to 1712 he publishes Fables and Dialog of the Dead, the latter written by the Duke of Burgundy. He talks about his hopes of a political reform in The Exam of a Conscience of a King, while his attachment to the Classical antiquity is clear in Letters about the occupation of the French Academy. On January 7, 1715 is the date of his death, in Cambrai.

Fénelon is in the Compilation, in several moments, as we cite: The Spirits’ Book, where he signs Prolegomena, along with a group of High Spirits. The answer of the question 917 is his responsibility. In The Gospel According to Spiritism he talks about the Third Revelation and the moral evolution of the man (chap. I, 10); the good person and voluntary torments (chap. V, 22, 23); the Law of Love (chap. XI, 9); the hatred (chap. XII, 10) and the application of riches (chap. XVI, 13). In The Book of Mediums he appears in the chapter Spiritist dissertations (chap. XXXI, 2nd part, items XXI and XXII) developing aspects about Spiritist meetings and the multiplicity of Spiritist Groups.

It is important to point out that the highlights are those in which the Spirit signs his name, and it is considered that he must have been, just as the other High Spirits, present in other moments, giving his fair share, since he was invited by the Spirit of Truth to make part of his team, in such a great undertaking. (4)

CEI publishes 900 pages about Rivail-Kardec 

A new and valuable book was translated and edited (2007) by the International Spiritist Council – CEI for all the Spiritist in the world, especially those who speak Spanish: Allan Kardec - el Educador y el Codificador, by the renowned Brazilian writers Zeus Wantuil and Francisco Thiesen, in 2 volumes. They are 900 pages which contain valuable information about the Educator Hippolyte Leon Denizard Rivail (1st volume) and about the Compiler Allan Kardec (2nd vol.).  

The 1st volume, which contain 86 illustrations, Unknown documents up to then, letters and historical photos, detail the childhood and adolescence of H. L. D. Rivail, the influence of Pestalozzi and the vast pedagogical production by the noble French Professor.(5) It has 220 Author Notes (N. dos A.) and 88 Translator Notes (N. do T.) as footnotes.  

In the 2nd volume, composed of 47 slides and some Kardec’s Letters, which were translated from French to Spanish, approaches his work as the Missionary of the Compilation of Spiritism. Also in footnotes, this volume has 44 N. dos A. and 157 N. do T.  

The co-authors of this biography quoted nearly 500 passages, fragments and pages of all years (1858-1869) of the Revue Spirite, material which was translated from French to Spanish, as all the others books by Kardec and other Spiritist authors such as Flammarion, Denis, Delanne, Leymarie, Lachâtre, Sausse, Moreil, etc.  

Therefore, the translation from Portuguese to Spanish of the hard work by Wantuil/Thiesen, as well as the translation from French to Spanish of all quotes from Kardec’s books was done.  

Among the rare manuscripts translated we find Kardec’s Letters aimed to celebrities: George Sand, Théophile Gautier etc., e and to various confreres of Spiritism: Mr. Tiedemann, Mr. Judermühle, Ms. de Bouillant, Mr. J. P. Sanson, Mr. Villou, Mr. T. Jaubert, and Ms. de M...  

An entire chapter of the 2nd volume approaches special data about the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, (6).

The translation was done by this article writer (the same translator of the Spiritist Magazine to Spanish), the 1st. special edition by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation – FEB, 2004, also in 2 volumes.  

Finally, there are very important documents about Rivail’s life, which the translator also did, his part:  

Acte de Naissance (Birth Certificate);

Registre de Baptême (Baptism Certificate);

Acte de Mariage (Boudet-Rivail’s Marriage Certificate);

Testament de Rivail (Rivail’s Will), 

Besides, a Rivail’s Declaration and other rare texts about his mother, father and grandfather. Thus, it’s worth it to consult all this bibliography, which is found below for more information. Good reading!
 

Bibliography:

(1) WANTUIL, Zeus [organizer]; THIESEN, Francisco. Allan Kardec: the Educator and the Compiler. 1st. special edition in 2 volumes. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2004. 1st volume, chap. 22: Rivail as a translator: Grammar and language knowledge.

(2) RIVAIL, H. L. D. Les Trois Premiers Livres de Télémaque en allemand. Paris: Bobée et Hingray Éditeurs, 1830. Thanks to Charles Kempf, confrere at USFF – Union Spirite Française et Francophone.

(3) INTERNATIONAL SPIRITIST COUNCIL. Allan Kardec: el Educador y el Codificador. Translation from Portuguese/French to Spanish by Enrique Eliseo Baldovino. 1st. ed. Brasília: CEI, 2007, in 2 volumes.

(4) PARANÁ SPIRITIST FEDERATION. Exponents of the Spiritist Compilation, Curitiba: Paraná Spiritist Federation, 2002.

(5) INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE OF SPIRITISTM. The Three First Books of Telemachus. Article by Enrique E. Baldovino. Matão: O CLARIM, June 2008, pp. 241-243.