"Then we rise up!"
His liberty is the more courageous inasmuch as that "father-in-law" (in other words, the descendant of St. Louis) is an outlaw. M. de Gassicourt is above all that: he despises equally the nobility of time and of misfortune. With the same contempt for aristocratic prejudices, he takes away my "de" and assumes it for himself, as though it were a conquest snatched from the petty gentry. But could there not have been some ancient historic quarrels between the House of Cadet and the House of Capet? Henry IV., the ancestor of that "father-in-law" who is no more King than that "lady" is a Royal Highness, was one day passing through the Forest of Saint-Germain: eight lords were lying in ambush there to kill the Bearnese; they were taken.
"One of those gallants," says L'Estoile, "was an apothecary who asked to speak with the King, of whom His Majesty having enquired of what condition he was, he answered that he was an apothecary.
"'What!' said the King. 'Is it the habit to perform the condition of an apothecary here? Do you lie in wait for the wayfarers to...?'"
Henry IV. was a soldier, modesty troubled him but little, and he ran away from a word no more than from the enemy.
I suspect M. de Gassicourt, because of his ill-humour towards the descendant of Henry IV., of being himself the descendant of the apothecary-Leaguer. The Mayor of the 4th Ward had doubtless written to me in the hope that I would engage him in mortal combat; but I do not care to engage M. Cadet in anything: I hope that he will forgive me for leaving him this little token of my remembrance.
*
Since the days when the great revolutions and the great revolutionaries passed before my eyes, everything had shrivelled greatly. The men who caused the fall of an oak, replanted when too old to take root, applied to me; they asked me for a portion of the widow's mite to buy bread: the letter from the Committee of the décorés de Juillet, or "Knights of July," is a document worth noting for the instruction of posterity.
"Paris, 20 April 1832.
"Please address your reply to M. Gibert-Arnaud,
"Manager and Secretary to the Committee,
"3, Rue Saint-Nicaise."Monsieur le vicomte,
"The members of our Committee approach you with confidence to ask you kindly to honour them with a gift in favour of the Knights of July. Any benevolence shown to these unhappy fathers of families, at this time of plague and misery, inspires the sincerest gratitude. We venture to hope that you will consent to allow your illustrious name to figure beside those of General Bertrand, General Exelmans, General Lamarque, General La Fayette, and several ambassadors, peers of France and deputies.
"We beg you to honour us with a word in reply, and if, contrary to our expectation, our request should meet with a refusal, be good enough to return us the present letter.
"With the gentlest sentiments, we beg you, monsieur le vicomte, to accept the homage of our respectful salutations.
"The active members of the Constitutive Committee of the Knights of July:
"Faure, Visiting Member.
"Cyprien Desmarais, Special Commissary.
"Gibert-Arnaud, Manager and Secretary.
"Tourel, Assistant Member."
I was too wise not to take the advantage which the Revolution of July here gave me over itself. By distinguishing between persons, one would create helots among the unfortunate, who, because of certain political opinions, might never obtain relief. I lost no time in sending a hundred francs to these gentlemen, with this note:
"Paris, 22 April 1832.
"Gentlemen,
"I am infinitely grateful to you for applying to me to come to the assistance of some unhappy fathers of families. I hasten to send you the sum of one hundred francs: I regret that I am not able to offer you a more considerable gift.
"I have the honour, etc.
"Chateaubriand."