St. Francis de Sales was in many ways the pioneer of the French Catholic revival of the seventeenth century. He was bishop, missionary, founder of a religious Order, statesman, preacher, spiritual guide and director of souls. He is the founder of French pulpit oratory, one of the most genuinely eloquent preachers of the century which heard the ringing accents of Bossuet, Bourdaloue, Massillon, mascaron and Flechier. He does not preach like these. he is more simple, more direct, more popular like homely. But had he not pointed the way and cleared it of the encumbrances which choked it, his successors would not have preached so well.