The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-17
THE NATIONAL ERA
III Z. IN i IOINhL EINfh'
waSVIYGToY. OCTOBER II, 1850
From Chamberss Edinburgh Journal
MIRiBEil' - IN MECDOrE OF HIN fM'hih
LIFE.
r-,m ch,mbers's Eainburgh Journal

The public life as well as the private chss""'s'
of Mirsbeau are universally known; ou' wy
following anecdote has not, we beileve, oeen io
c,rded ia any of the biographies. The Psrticu-
,'.s we're included in the brief furpishs1te M
=, zsrtz,ue I'd vocate-generai ia the Parliament
provance when he was retained for the de-
go of Madame Mrabeau in her husband s
,rocess against her. M. de Galitzlne afterward
fuowed The Rourbons into exile, and returned
y;tb them in 1914; and 1t Is on his authority that
the story is given as fact' -,
Nirabeau had just been released from the
Ion of the castle of Vincennes near Paris
IT., Rod been confined there for three years and
half nv virtue of that most odious mandate,
a L,,,g n, clrh.L His Imprisonment had been OF
a most painful nature; and 1t was prolonged
or the instance Of his father, the Marquis de
Nir.he,u On his being reconclied 10 MS father,
the confinement terminsted, In the year l7oO, When
M;rabeau was thirty-one years OF age
Ono of his fathers conditions was, that Mira
Lo.,, ehopld reside for some time at a distance
cror, p,ris. and ia was settled that he should 20
On visit 10 his brother-in law, Count du Sail
Isnt who's, estate was situated few leagues from
the city of LN2ses tbe, ssSi.3l Of tbe l,imousin.
Accordingly. the Count went to Vincennes to re-
ceivo Nirabeau on the day of his liberation,
and they pursued their journey at once with all
speed.
The arrival of Mirabeau at the ancient manor
il chateau created great sensation In that re-
mote part of France. The country gentlemen
residing in the neghborhood had often heard
him spoken of rs remarkable man, not only on
account of his brilliant talents, but also Tor MS
violent passions; and they fastened to the cha"
telu to contemplate a being who had excited their
curiosity to an extraordinary pitch. The greater
portion OF these country squires were mere sports
men. whose knowledge did not extend much be-
yond the names and qualities of their dogs and
horses and in whose houses it would have been
almost in vain to seek for any other book than the
local almanac containing the list Of the fairs and
markets, to which they repaired with the utmost
punctuality 10 loiter away their time, talk about
their rural affairs, dine abundantly, and wash
down their food with strong Auvergne wine.
Count du Saillant was quite of a different
stamp from his neighbors. He had seen the world
he commanded a regiment, and at that period his
chateau was perhaps the most civilized country
residence in the Limousin. People came from a
considerable distance to visit its hospitable owner
aud er-ong the guests there WAS a curious mixture
of provincial oddities, clad in their quaint COS
tunes. At that epoch, indeed, the young Lii
mousin noblemen, when they Joined their regi
ments, to don their sword and epaulets for tn
first time, were very slightly to be distinguished
either by their manners or appearance, from thei
rustic retaincrs.
Ii will easily be imagined, then, that Mrabeau
who was gifted with brilliant natural qualities
cultivated and polished by education-a man
moreover. who had seen much of the world anC
had been engaged in several strange and perilou
Gdyentures-occupied the most conspicuous pos
in this society, many of the component member
whereof seemed to have barely reached the first de
grees in the scale Of civilization. His vigorou.
frame his enormous head augmented in bulk by
lofty friza'ed eogwe J; his huge face, indented will
scars and furrowed with seams, from the effect
Of smallpox injudiciously treated in his child
hood; hi3 piercing eyes, the reflection of the tn
multuOus passions at war within him his mouth
whose expression indicated in turn irony, disdain
Indignation, and benevolence; his dress, Away.
carefully attended to- but in an exaggerated style
giving him somewhat the air Of a travelling char.
lattn decked out with embroidery, large frill, and
ruiies; in short, this extraordinary looking in
individual astonished the country folks even be.
fore he opened his mouth. But when his sonorous
voice was heard, and his Imagination heated by
some interesting subject of conversations impaired
nigh degree of energy to his eoquence some OF
the worthy rustic hearers felt though they were
IN the presence of saint, others in that of a
devil and according to their several impressions
'hey were tempted either to fall down at his feet,
or TO exercise him by making the sign of the cross
and ut,ering prayer.
SEATED in large antique armchair, with his
ieet stretched out on the floor, Mirabeau often
contemplated, with smile playing on his lips,
those men who seemed to belong to the primitive
ages so simple frank, and at the same time
cIo"nlsh, were they in their manners. lie
nS'ehed TO their conversations, which general
" turned upon the chase, the exploits of their
dog', or the excellence of their horses, of whose
ofeel and qualifications they were very proud
Mlraoeau entered freely into their notions ;
TOOK AN interest in the success OF their sport
ing projects; talked too about crops; chest
nuts OF which large quantities are pro iuced in
me Limousini live and dead stock ameliora-
lions In husbandry; and so forth and he quite
won the hearts of the company by his familiarity
win 'he topics IN which they felt the most inter
est, and by his good nature
This monotonous life was however froouentlv
wearsome to Mirabeau; and in order to vary it.
and for the sake of exercise, after being occupied
Tor several hours in writing he was in the habit
OF taking fowlingpiece according to the custom
OF the country, and putting book into his game
Dag he would frequently make long excursions
on foot in every direction He admired the noble
forests OF chestnut trees which abound in the Lii
mousln the vast meadows, where numerous herds
OF cattle Of superior breed are reared; and the
running streams by which that picturesque coun-
Try Is lntersected. He generally returned to the
chateau long after sunset, saying that night seen
cry was peculiarly attractive to him
II was during and after supper that those con-
.eraatons took place for which Mirabeau supplied
ene principal and most interesting materials. lie
possessed the knack Of provoking objections TO
"ha' ne might advance ia order to combat them,
az ne did with great force Of logic and in ener-
ge''c language; and thus he gave himself lessons
"a argument caring little about his auditory, his
No'r ann being to exercise his mental ingenuity
snn 10 cultivate eloquence. Above all, he was
'uhl Of discussing religious matters with the cure
Of the parish. Without displaying much latitud-
.utfianlsm, he disputed several points of doctrine
qua certain professions of the church so acutely,
mar me pastor could say but little in reply. Th.
ai''oniShed the Limousin gentry, who up to that
uhe, had listened to nothing but the drowsy dis
1'Dr'es OF their cures, or the sermons Of some OBJ
ute mendicant frars, and who placed implicit
Jun IN the dogmas Of the church. The faith Of a
"" was shaken, but the greater number Of his
hearers were very much tempted TO look upon the
o'er as An emissary of Satan, sent to the chateau
lps'roy them The cure, however, did not de-
9,,r OF eventually converting Mirabeau.
~ this period, several robberes had taken
- NJ no great distance from the chateau -FOUR
hve farmers had been stopped shortly after
"kniall on their return from the market-towns,
,"i robbed OF their purses. Not one Of these
srso1s had offered any resistance, for each pre-
i.eu 70 make n sacrifice rather than run the
ans S OF struggle in a country full Of ravines,
H. covered with rank vegetation very favors-
lv;, me exploits Of brigands, who might be
~, ny IN wait to massacre any individual who
do' resist the one detached from the band to
on, u'na the travellers money or his life These
rscoe es ceased for short time, but they soon
covered ''''''"'' '"'''
v,sn, evening, about an hour after sunset, a
O." arrived at the chateau. lie was one Of
uu Sillant's most intimate friends. an 4
VI his way home from ncighboring fair