The Louis the Great School not only offers high scholarships but also has always been recognized for the quality of its teaching. It was founded in 1563 as a Jesuit school called the Collège de Clermont, and from the moment it was founded, the University of Paris was displeased with the fact that it was completely free of charge for students. For more than two hundred years, the Louis the Great School struggled with the University of Paris. In 1762, the University of Paris won a victory when the Paris Assembly passed a resolution to expel the Jesuit administration and turn the school over to the University of Paris, which was renamed the Louis the Great School in order to applaud King Louis XV. The University of Paris seemed to have won this bicentennial marathon. However, the University of Paris never imagined that it was under its own control, from this high school, gave birth to the real rival of the University of Paris.
In 1766, the Louis the Great School began to set up a qualifying examination for teachers, and later, in order to help candidates, the school opened a corresponding teacher training college. This teacher training college was the predecessor of one of the most famous universities in France, the École Normale Supérieure de Paris.
It was such a high school that Joseph now wished to apply for.
Generally speaking, it was not easy for students from other provinces to pass the qualifying exams of the Louis the Great School. First, the student had to be recommended by the bishop of a local diocese, and then he had to pass the school's selection process. But this was not a big problem for Joseph. As the son of Bishop Minerva, it was not difficult to get a recommendation, and passing the selection process was not difficult for a postulant who had studied for a master's degree in later life. But the cost of attending this school was the roadblock in front of Joseph.
After the University of Paris took control of the Louis the Great School, the original policy of no money for day students died. But frankly, today's fees are not too high, almost symbolic. But the problem is that Paris is a very expensive place to live. To be a day student in Paris costs a lot of money just for housing and food. Although the scholarship at Louis the Great was very high, no one could get a scholarship immediately upon entering the school. So now Joseph was in desperate need of a start-up fund.
Joseph knew his father didn't have much money on hand. Carlo had been Pauli's adjutant and had fought for the independence of Corsica against the French. Later, although he surrendered to the French, he had to curry favor with the Corsican governor in order to retain his noble status, which cost him a lot of his savings. Now he had six other children to support, and he could not afford to spend much money.
Joseph wrote a letter to Bishop Mignon, asking for his help. He knew that Bishop Mignard belonged to the Jesuits and that by this time the Jesuits had been abolished by Pope Clément XIV. But its influence was still present, and many of Bishop Mignan's practices were clearly influenced by the Jesuits, so he called the school of Louis the Great the "School of Clermont". In his letter, he refers to the school of Louis the Great as the "School of Clermont", and implicitly reveals his interest in theology.
Soon after, Bishop Mignard wrote back to Joseph. The bishop praised Joseph's piety but told Joseph that he did not advocate his joining the Church now.
"My son, God has many paths for man, and it is not the only path that is in accordance with God's will to become a priest. I think you are too young to make such a decision too soon. Perhaps you should experience some more things, such as love, wealth, and power. After that, maybe you will really understand what kind of path God has prepared for you.
Also, I am very supportive of your desire to go to a better school for your education. What father wouldn't be happy to see his son so motivated. At this time, when he reaches out to you for help, what father would not be willing to reach out and give him a hand? But as you know, I am not a very rich man, so I can only get 150 francs for the time being, so I hope I can help you.
Considering that you are only an eleven-year-old child, I sometimes tend to overlook this, and that Paris is such a long way away. I don't feel comfortable going alone to such a faraway place. I counted the days when you were going to Paris, so I asked him to bring you the 150 francs and to go with you. In Paris, the cost of living is very high, and under normal circumstances, one hundred and fifty francs will not last long. Unless you live in one of those neighborhoods full of people from the lower class. When I was young, I lived in a place like that, where you can see darker darkness than darkness, and find a whiter whiteness than whiteness in that darkness. That kind of place can make you gain a lot of insight, and even hammer your soul. If you are older, a 16-year-old, then I think you can go to such a place to live for a while. But now ．．．．．． The security there is very chaotic, and leaving you there today is like leaving a little lamb in a wolf's den. So I have found a place for you. There is a Franciscan chapel between the Latin Quarter and St. Marceau Pass, and the priest there, Father Jean-Jacques, is a friend of mine, and I think he can provide you with a simple but relatively safe cottage. ．．．．．．"
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On the same day that Joseph received this letter, his younger brother Napoleon also received an offer of admission to the Brienne Military Academy. The ten-year-old Napoleon was happy to say goodbye to his brother and prepare to go to the school he had always wanted to attend.
"My stupid brother. Seeing Napoleon's happy face, Joseph couldn't help but hit him again, "Do you think the crows at Brienne's Military Academy are white? I am sure that the school of Brienne is full of fools who think they are noble, and you are just jumping from one fire to another.
"What do you know, Sancho? I went to Brienne's Military Academy to learn knowledge, what has it to do with whether there are fools there or not? Is it because there are idiots there that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is not 180 degrees in their books? What does it matter as long as you can learn something useful?
"Of course, it matters." My foolish brother," Joseph said, "even a Damascus knife is shaped by a hammer and an anvil. Where are you going to forge your sword when you are surrounded by a pile of mud? So, when you get there, remember to write to me often so that I can teach you well. Save yourself from rusting and rotting in the mud.
"You are the biggest mud hole in the world." Napoleon's mouth is still very tough.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ．．．．．．" Joseph laughed heartlessly.
The first time I saw him, I had to go to the school of Louis the Great. And at this time, the priest Alfonso, whom Bishop Mignan had mentioned in his letter, also arrived at Orton High School.
After taking a leave of absence from the school, Joseph boarded the courier to Avignon with Brother Alfonso.
It was already May, which is the most beautiful season of the year. The courier came out of Marseille and sped on the road to Paris, and the warm spring breeze blew in through the windows, sweeping the chaotic scent of the various wildflowers blooming on the roadside into the car. Looking out from the car, on both sides of the road and in the gaps between the dark green wheat fields, flowers of all colors were blooming, the dark pink ones being the talcum herb, the lavender ones being the maidenhair, and the red and yellow wild moonflowers. A few small lilacs could also be seen along the roadside, their dark purple inflorescences swaying in the spring breeze.
There were six people in the carriage, including Joseph. A clergyman, a child, two middle-aged men in their thirties dressed as merchants, and a young couple. Except for the lady, there were people in long trousers. ｛In France, the nobility always wears tight-fitting trousers and long socks below the knee, while the commoners wear long trousers.}
As they sat in the car, there was nothing much to do, so they chatted casually.
"Father, are you also going to Paris? asked a skinny merchant.
"I'm going to Notre Dame on some business," replied Brother Alfonso. This is our bishop's godson," replied Brother Alfonso, "and he is going to Paris to take the entrance exams to the school of Louis the Great. I'm going with him, so I'll take him there.
"Well, it is not easy to leave home at such a young age to go to Paris to study," said the thin merchant. The skinny merchant said.
"It costs a lot of money to study in Paris. Another merchant also said, "It must cost several hundred francs a year.
"It doesn't cost much to study at Louis the Great's school itself." The husband of the young couple said, "The Louis the Great School has a very high scholarship, but it requires a lot of students, firstly, to be recommended by the Church and secondly, to be able to pass the selection process.
At this point, he turned to Joseph and said, "Son, what subjects are you good at?
Joseph replied, "I can read and write Latin, and I like mathematics and natural philosophy.
"Mathematics is the language in which God created the world. Natural philosophy is another way for us to get closer to God. The young man said, "It's good that you like that.
"There is only one way to approach God, and that is through the Church, sir!" Alfonso said solemnly.
"You are right." The thin businessman hastened to agree, and at the same time drew a cross on his chest.
"The Church and the Bible are certainly the only way to approach God. The young man also hastened to retract his previous statement, but he added, somewhat reluctantly, "But isn't this world God's work? The praise of the world is, after all, the praise of God.
"I like that," Joseph interjected.
Alfonso was going to say something else, but after hearing Joseph's words, he did not say anything else.