The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27


pansed by the elevation Of the estate OF
Mifabeau 10 the rank Of o Marquisate.
At this date tho Riqust changed the
modest title Of esquire to that Of Marquis.
Mirabeau's father wa only the third OF
the family to bear the title.
-
II.
In the seooHd period OF their family
life the Riquetis were important hgures
In the history Of the south Of France.
They were also noted above all other
men for their independence. frankness
OF speech and eccsntrioities. OF some
Of them acts of such q character are 70
corded that men Of tho day sesm 10
have been justified Ia speaking &c they
did Of the Mirabeaus 20 sail deyils.' The
Hrst Of the line who 10 known to US by
something more than Q date or IN sneo-
dots was jean Antoine, the paternal
grandfather Of the orator. He fought
In ell tho VAR Of Louis XIV, and his exc
oeptionsl reput ation for bravery won for
him tho hand Of FRANCHISE do Castelsnne,
one Of tho richsat and most attractive
heirssses In Provence. The grandfather
Of the orator died before the birth OF the
grandson, but the grandmother lived
until tho boy was 81 years Of age, and
profoundly influenced his early life. OF
tho seven children Of Jean Antoine only
three survived him, Victor. Charles Ell
GEAR and Louis Alexandra, better known
% the Marquis, the Baili do Matte and the
Cheyalisr or Count. The first was the
father Of the orator: the second. en- uncle
who wa Q model brother and who sym
pathized With his nephew ~ the father
was never able to do. The last>wa.
IN many ways Q prototype OF Mirabeeu
himself. According 10 M. do Lomenie
the second brother, the. Bailli, was moon
testably tho most beautiful moral product
that issued from an impetuous and often
unruiy race. This man, OF whom tho
orator wrote 'hs has the soul and the
virtues Of . hero, -was the only member
OF his family who inspired his nephew
with "an upslterable respect Although
he did not obtain the passing celebrity
OF his elder brother, tho author Of 'L,Ami
des Hommes,' nor the brilliant renown
Of his nephew, no does not suffer from
comparison with either Of these. Intel
lectually their equal, she was superior
to them In nobility Of soul, In upright
ness and loyalty OF character, In disin-
terestedneas and I'm the delioscy Of q
scrupulous conscience
Of Mirabeau, but In DR.. Fling's opinion
the treatment was not wholly unde-
served. BE was not lovable, being In
that respect the opposite OF his brother,
the Baili. He died discredited tn pubic
opinion and ironically referred TO az the
friend Of men. but mot OF his wife nor OF
his children On the death OF his father
In i7s7 he had become tho MARQUIS de
Mtrsbeau and the head OF his family.
His net income was now 10000 hvres a
year, which ut the time seems to have
been considered sadsfactory. A soldier
by profession, he was deeply interested
In literature. There 10 no doubt that he
possessed unusual talents. accompanied
by q devouring ambition and . serene
confidence In his own ability. Unoona-
promising In advocating what he be-
lieved to be right, harsh even when just.
he could not conceive that address and
gentleness wore reoonoilable with hon.
esty and force Of character. he boasted
Of his iniexibility snd declared that his
way to accomplish anything was by going
straight at It or by violence.
"
III.
Gabriel. HouorS de Riaueti, Who was
Ia play no great a part In the States
Gensral. RAJ born March ., i7xo, at the
Chateau de ViGnon, which stands be-
tween Nsunours and Montargis, not far
from Paris. Tho chateau no longer ex-
ists, but the alleys of the old path are
those In which young Mirabeau played.
with the ~exoeption Of q single sentence
found Ia a letter of his fathers all ref
erences 10 the infancy Of Gabriel have dis
appeared. We know that at three years
OF n tho boy wal attacked by smallpox
In a very malignant form, and that his
mother, distrustful Of the physicians.
applied homo made lotions and .ointments
10 the tumefed face. The results were
disastrous; the oountenance Of the child
was profoundly furrowed and SCARED.
This incident was one Of the most baleful
in Mirabeau's life. His pockmarked
features won him little favor In b family
famo,s for the beauty Of its men, and his
disfieured face was not tho least impor-
--- A.. -~-l>S A. III.