New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-03
ACADEMY LAUREATE DEAD
Count Jean de Sabran.Ponteves
a Remarkable Man.

death of so important and picturesque A
parsonage as Count Jean de sabran-Pon.
teves. Belonging TO one OF the grandest
houses In France, he was prominent in the
military the political and afterward In
the literary world during many years, when
he had exchanged the sword for the pen.
His name alone, indeed, sounds In ones
ears like the swift swish Of a sword cleav.
ing the smoke Of battles.
Besides being gallant soldier he was q
chivalrous political enemy a stancn
friend and writer OF great talent,
"Laureat de rAcademle FRANCHISE (pria
Montyon)," II you please. and author. under
the pseudonyme Of Jean lie Hutin." OF
several books, such as "LInde, fond de
train I'm Raid en- AISLE "Lettres a
Phanette" and Les Veiees de Gerfaut."
delightful volume dedicated to his young
daughter.
The now ducal House Of -Ponteves
descends from the twelfth century without
a break In fact, it may be said in passing,
| IL
lows back the line OF Ponteves, counting
such ancestors, for instance, as the sover-
eign Count Of Forcauuier the Forcal-
| quiers, az is well known, being among the
few great mobiles VINO ruled their lands as
absolute sovereigns long before the Cru
sades were even thought Of.
| King Louis TX OF France was numbered
among their allies, having married Mar
| u.
| Berenger ". This sovereign Count OF
+, Provence had four daughters The first,
Marguerite, as I have just said, married
"st. Louis; the second, Eleanor, married
Henry III Of England; the third, Jeanne.
married Raymond, sovereign Count OF Tou-
louise, and the fourth. Beatrice. married
| the reigning Count Charles Of Antou. This
| Beatrice sister law OF st. Louis" was
one of the ancestors Of that Languedoo
branch Of the Ponteves which merges into
the line OF Sabran. For the Ponteves, who
find their origin in Brittany developed two
branches. when two Ponteves brothers,
Bretons brave and true, OF the type OF
Du Guesclin. the famous knight. separated,
one OF them wandering off TO the South o.
France, while the other remained on his
own lands.
Count Jean de sabran-Ponteves who has
Just died al his chateau OF Gerfaut In Tou-
rane was the uncle of the present Duke
Helion-Louis- Marie Elzear. fourth Duke OF
Sabran- Ponteves. etc, and who Is now
about thirty-seven years old.
Jean was the veritable type Of a warrior
of the olden times. Looking at him, one
would have thought that he had only just
removed his Crusaders armor and modern
ICED himself sufficiently only to head the
present Royaist party, which, although
greatly diminished, still exists in certain
faithful and stubborn provinces Of France.
His geniality. simplicity OF manner and
elegance OF demeanor were amusing 10
watch, as well as his calmness OF gesture
and fine. commanding figure when one saw
him galloping every morning In the neigh
| borhood of the "Tr aux Pigeons" as early
as or o'clock in the Bots de Boulogne.
as real sportsmen are wont 10 do. For
beneath the simple accoutrement Of
sportsman OF to-day he managed somehow
or other TO give one the impression Of not
belonging at all TO our age or TO the ages
| Immediately preceding it,
| bon compagnon'' thew called hmi
yes. but he also had inherited, very likely
| from that little land OF stone, heather and
| gorse which was the cradle OF his race. the
| immense stubbornness which is character
istlc Of wave beaten Brittany. When once
this debonalr gentleman got an idea into
his handsome head IL was an impossibility.
absolute and complete 10 make him yield
in any shape or fashion.
| For many years Count Jean served in the
| French cavalry, and received the Legion
OF Honor. as we'll as the military medal.
for his gallant conduct in 1s70-'71. during
| the Franco-Prussian War. Since then.
having been severely wounded toward the
| end OF the conflict he led less military
but quite as active a life, his duties as one
If the chiefs OF the Royaist party occu-
pylrg much OF his time.
Many may remember still the part he
played during the Royalist campaign OF
the 18th ACCOMPLISHMENT OF Paris, other
wise OF ia Villette," IN the latter part Of
the nineteenth century. The men who be-
| came his constituents and who are nick
named there the "costauds de la Nillette."
would have followed TO the very heart OF
fire the man whom they still called their
"commandant." remembering the time
when they had served under his orders,
|
parole de Sabran vaut parole de roy
| A short anecdote concerning those event.
full days typdes the man. During that
particular electoral contest lie spoke very
great deal. for the first time in his life.
ard with very much success, too, although
as might be expected, his adversaries were
as numberless as the sands on the seashore.
One night, when he had 10 attend q
meeting at the schools of the Rue Bolivar.
which Is situated In the midst OF the
| "Marchiste' quarter, NJ. Lepiue, Prefect
OF Police and the bravest man that has
ever held that post. sent him one OF his
agents, hoping TO dissuade him from going
there. az there was a plot, Of which no
knew, to assassnate him.
| need not add, having already sketched
tho character Of this modern knight. that
this warning only added fuel 10 the flames.
and that II became for him supreme rea-
| son why he should show himself. lie
therefore started at once. accompanied by
his private secretary. Count Gabriel de
Pontiac (who is the son OF his sister, Mar
guerite do Sabran- Ponteves. Countess de-
Pontiac, and they actually forced their en-
trance into the great tall where the battle
betw cen tho two parties had already begun
1t need not be said that at such a meet
ing the elements were extraordinarily mixeo
and that when the Comte de Sabran took
his place deafening storm or applause
and Kisses burst forth. and amid the ain
could be heard highest and shrillest tho
cry Of Mort Sabrdn@ while reviewers
were drawn from many a dingy pocket
The hubbub lasted so long that NJ Lepihe'