The Duke d’Orleans obeyed. He was seated next to M. Merilhou, and nudged him gently with his elbow. The Minister was sleeping soundly; the Prince recommenced, but the Minister slept on. Finally the Prince laid his hand upon M. Merilhou’s knee. The Minister awoke with a start and exclaimed:
“Leave off, Sophie, you are tickling me!”
This is how the word “subject” came to be eliminated from the preamble of laws and ordinances.
M. Dupont de l’Eure, in 1830, was Minister of Justice. On August 7, the very day the Duke d’Orleans took the oath as King, M. Dupont de l’Eure laid before him a law to sign. The preamble read: “Be it known and decreed to all our subjects,” etc. The clerk who was instructed to copy the law, a hot-headed young fellow, objected to the word “subjects,” and did not copy it.
The Minister of Justice arrived. The young man was employed in his office.
“Well,” said the Minister, “is the copy ready to be taken to the King for signature?”
“No, Monsieur the Minister,” replied the clerk.
Explanations. M. Dupont de l’Eure listened, then pinching the young man’s ear said, half smilingly, half angrily:
“Nonsense, Monsieur the Republican, you just copy it at once.”
The clerk hung his head, like a clerk that he was, and copied it.