The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-22
The Real CyranO.

The original of Mansfield's great creaUoh'
C,,,raro do Rergerac. was a reality of the
so,,en+aentb century He lived twelve years
into the reign of Louis XIV, and was SOL
der. philosopher and man of letters lie is
described by his friends as tall and well
formed, with piercing eyes and flowing mus
+ache and 2. countenance kindly and agree
able to look upon, except for the eXtraord1-
nary nose which was so large and mis-
shapen as almost to seem false. rms nose
increased the melancholy of a naturally
sensitive disposition, brought Cyrano INTO
numerous duels and made his life a con-
tinual battle. Savinien de Cyrano de
Bergerac, as he is called in the certihcate
Of his birth, was descended from the noble
family Of Cyrano, who, when they came INTO
the possession of a small estate on the Isle
de France, assumed also the title ne
Bergerac AS Cyrano had the disposition
characteristic of the GaScons ana served IN
a Gascon company of guards, IL came 10 De
believed even in his lifetime, that he was a
native of Bergerac in Gascony Yet 1t IS
an indisputable fact that this man, who was
regarded by the seventeenth century as the
Gascon of Gascons, was born at Parls, may
TO- 1913. After a course of study at the cox
lege of BeauVais, in Paris, he was persuaded
by his friend Lebret, when nineteen years
old, to enlist in the guards. The TWO COM
rades entered the company OF Cadets Gascon
of NJ Carbon de Castel-Jaloux. Cyrano
took I'D Quellng, the IdVOTlJe amusement u
the corps. with great enthusiasm ana De-
came immensely popular with his fellows,
who called him 1.-The Demon of Bravery,
and said he could count duel for every day
of his service. These rougher pursuits were,
however accompanied by devotion TO
study and the muses. which recalls the MEM
ory of the scholars of the early Renaissance.
Lebret draws a picture of Cyrano writing
an elegy amidst the noise and brawls or the
guardroom as calmly as though seated in q
seuuestered chamber. Cyrano remained IN
the guards three years. He took part in the
campaign against the Germans at Mouzon
and was wounded there by musket ball;
he received q sword thrust in the neck at
the siege of Arras and soon after pecomkng
disguised with military life, resigned and
gave himself up entirely to philosophy and
letters. Cyrano was brave and honorable.
He was the most famous duelist OF his time
and defended his friends as well as himself.
Rostand has preserved in his play the story
of how Cyrano is said to have put to flight
with his single sword one hundred rufhans
who lay in ambush to attack one OF his
friends. Towards the end Of his life Cyrano
became more settled in his habits and lost
much of the supersensitiveness which had
turned many of his early friends into enc
mics. His hostility to the church grew less
pronounced, and he no longc- attacked it
with his old-time animOsity. As his mind
matured his style improved and he took
time to correct and polish what he had writ
ten rapidly. But accident or an assassin
gave him no opportunity to get greater fame
on earth. His life came to an end thirty-Six
years after he was born. Peace be to the
ashes of Cyrano de Bergerac, who was con-
Verted on his deathbed, in answer to the
prayers Of his good aunt Catherine Cyrano.