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

louis at play. Az It turned out that thu
real cause Of the young mans disap-
pearance was not q debt that he could
not pay but o love affair which threat
ened TO lead to o tntsdllidnee. his father
procured q iettre de cdehet transferring
Mirabeau to tho lie de re Here he re.
manned seven montha, after which he wa
permitted to join the French expedition
against Corsica Mirabeau landed on
the island near the end OF April, 17ao,
but the Corsioap campaign proved mol
to be Of long duration. Although he saw
but little active service. he disclosed
q real talent for war. winning the good
opinion Of his superior officers and the
affection Of his associates. The Major
Of the legion declared some years later
that che had never known o man with
greater abilities than the Comte de Mira
beau for the profession Of arms, II time
had but rendered him disoreeL." In later
life the orator described his enthusiasm
for the military profession and his efforts
TO master Ito minute details.
After his return from Corsica the
young Mirabeau remained for q time
In the Legion Of Lorraine. after which
he spent some months with lis uncle.
the Bailli, and was then permitted TO
visit his father, the Marquis. The traits
Of the young mans physique and char
aoter had now become fairly well defined.
Below the average In height. stout OF
body and limb. vigorous In gesture.
attitude and action. Mirabeau bore his
large head with It's pookmarked mask
In a manner to give outward expression
10 the confidence that he felt In himself.
The officers Of his corps described him as
'deviishiy lively a good boy and
bright az the devil That no had a
good heart was the opinion Of all those
who knew him at this time. when he had
attained his twenty-hrst year. His uncle.
the Bailli, was struck by the remarkable
combination Of c%hildishness and matu-
rity betrayed in the young mans be-
havior. He was hot headed. inclined
to be presumptuous.' subject to COCA
sional hts Of distraction and very
sensitive He had ar excellent mind,
and svsn what mi might truly call
genius; he could reason perfectly but
suffered horribly when forced to submit
to any other restrictions than those OF
reason. He was ambitious and his
vigorous body enabled him TO support
the strenuous mental application forced
upon him ty the demands OF his restless
intellect Light heartedness In the in
curing Of debts and lack Of sek-restraint
In the qualification Of his passions. two
Of the traits that were to distin guish him
in later life. were not especially marked
At the age Of twenty-one. He seemed
no worse than the majority Of the young
noblemen Of his generation. He had
already begun to formulate his ideas
about absolutism. to realize the necessity
OF q check upon the man whom the
vilest portion Of humanity 10 constantly
assuring Of his omnipotence.' and to
believe that the 1feudal order was the
only one that could prevent . monarchy
from becoming an Oriental despotism.'
Such at least were the views on govern
ment that he expressed In his conversa-
tons with his uncle, the Bailli. They were
to be modified somewhat In years to
come. but Prof. Fling reminds US that
Mirabeau never became democrat.
not ever when he had developed into an
opponent Of class privileges.
Nv.
The period that followed Mirabeau's
return TO his father house In September,
ITO, was n Of tho most important IN
the story Of his early life. For a while
the Marquis was favorably impressed
with his sons abilities and good tntsn-
lions. He seems 10 have overcome to .
considerable extent the prejudice that
he had entertained against his son and
for two years reposed some confidence
In him. Tho young man acted as his
fathers amapuensis. In January. It'll.
the Marquis wrote 70 the Minister OF War
for q commission OF Captain Of cavalry for
his son. This was quickly granted. The
receipt Of the commission gave young
Mirabeau an opportunity Of revisiting
Paris. which at the time was agitated ever
the coup d'etat Of Louis Nv. or rather OF
his Minister, Maupeou. against the Parlia-
ments. The elder Mirabeau experienced
difficulty in preventing his eldest son from
taking the side Of the Parliaments against
the Ministry. Already the young man had
begun to play his part az an opponent Of
absomhsm, q role thathe never abandoned
until his death. When Mirabeau left
Paris In June, It'll. TO take charge Of the
Marquis's estates the relations between
father and son were still outwardly har-
monious. but the harmony was drawing
to q close. The present biographer can
not and an explanation Of the change In
the attitude Of the Marquis toward his
son In any specific act on the iatter's part.
Under the circumstances he il inclined
to give more than q passing consideration
to the explanation offered by Mirabeau:
Il saw that I would always be In h wrong.
because I was not loved
Desiring TO obtain his Independence by
contracting q brilliant marriage Mira
beau al the age OF - betook himself
to Ak, there to compete for the hand Of
Nile. do Marignane. the richest heiress
Of Provence. Tho marriage Of tho young
lady to another man. M. de La Velette.
was arranged, and the articles were
drawn up before Mirsbeau reached Ak.
Nevertheless q month after his arrival
he was master Of the situation. he had
succeeded by making love 10 Mile. de
Marignane. Mirabeau claimed in later
years that II was a love match. and there
10 an abundance Of evidence to support
the statement. The young lady was not
u~nattractive. although she was not .
beauty. She possessed g good deal Of
wit and was Of . lively, gay. and essen
TALLY pleasing character. By the mar
v;a ~. contract ajoned Mt Aix on June