of an integral human formation depend: the formation of the heart and will, the formation of the mind are the main objectives of all teaching. 268

The prime mover is discipline, understood as education, namely instruction, and the proper direction of morals, and as the set of means needed to achieve both. 269

Preventive and constructive educational action is the meeting of two positive conditions. The first condition is provided by the marvellous resources found within the natural dispositions of the soul of a child, a soul that is new, simple, open to confidence, tender and easily moulded. The child, once the hazards and obstacles of the child's age are overcome successfully, will move along the path already undertaken: Adulescens juxta viam suam etiam cum senuerit non recedet ab ea ( a child will never leave the path he has undertaken in his youth ,even when he gets old). 270 This is what the author adds as a Christian, optimist and he humanist that he was.

The second condition is the educator’s authority. He presents himself to his pupils with the prestige of a father, teacher and priest who always refers to reason and to the heart with unlimited patience. Authority comes from the verb augere which means to increase, to protect the vitality already possessed by the body, mind, family, society and country.271 Monfat attributed a definite

methodological function to the exercise of authority, to the point of placing it ahead of virtue and the knowledge of the educator. For this reason: “with a prestige that rules without compelling, and leads a soul to heartily accept the yoke of submission , a tiny bit of good teaching and good example will elicit more fruit for souls which will allow themselves to be entered into more easily than with a great amount of knowledge and a high degree of sanctity, which might be imposed upon their trust and which might find them impenetrable”.272

Besides indicating the religious sources of authority,273 the author also points the educator to the natural means he should have recourse to. He reduces them to three: “Making oneself feared, respected and esteemed, and loved”.274 The third resource is particularly stressed: making oneself loved! In fact, “fear should not be servile but filial, reverential, affectionate, the end result of zeal mixed with strictness and gentleness: Suaviter et Fortiter, a happy blend where strictness remains hidden and allows itself to be hinted at “in ready support of gentleness”.275 However, this does not exclude, but rather demands the restraint and seriousness which combines respect, silence and attention.276 The counter position leads to three duties educators have towards their pupils. These duties are taken from the Constitutions of the Society of Mary: love, patience, respect.277

Therefore, along with the idea of fatherliness, the concept of love is dominant: a love that is sincere, unselfish, supernatural, ready to grow, ready to forgive, ready to be generous, full of benevolence and encouragement.278 This is a preventive love which calls the prefect or assistant to task in particular. “As far as the Prefect is concerned, it is true to say that he is expected to be the first to love and prevent, at all times; he is entrusted with the mission not so much of disposing of ignorance, but

cristiana (19-52); 2nd L’educazione si propone come risultato di attuare le speranze della Chiesa circa l’avvenire dei

fanciulli. Sollecitudine che la Chiesa prodiga oggi in loro favore (53-67).

268 A. Monfat, La pratica della educazione cristiana (1879), 7-23 (Considerazione 1) and 24-41 (Considerazione II). 269 Ibid., 41-42.

270 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes, 68-79.

271 Ibid., 79-80, 83, 85.

272 Ibid., 201.

273 They are humility, prayer, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, respect for ones superiors: Les vrais principes. 202-

207.

274 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes, 207-209.

275Ibid., 207-209.

276 Ibid., 209-212.

277 Ibid., 292-350.

278 Ibid., 293; developments, 293-310.