Letter from Jean Constantin fils to... (1842)

NRA-L-000410 / 1842

Letter from Jean Constantin fils to his godmother, 1842-09-27

Jean Constantin fils writes from naval service at Rochefort to his godmother about qualifying as a captain, harsh barracks conditions, his low pay and lessons in arithmetic, and asks to borrow fifty francs.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000410

NRA-L-000410 image 1 showing the folded address panel to Monsieur Deyson at Camblanes, with Rochefort, Bordeaux and Créon datestamps, a manuscript postal charge and later calculations. — **Image 1**Address panel to Monsieur Deyson at Camblanes, with three postal datestamps, a manuscript postal charge and later calculations.

NRA-L-000410 image 2 showing the first page of Jean Constantin fils's handwritten personal letter from Rochefort to his godmother. — **Image 2**First page of Jean Constantin fils's personal letter from Rochefort to his godmother.

NRA-L-000410 image 3 showing the continuation of Constantin's personal letter, including his request for a loan of fifty francs and a note to his cousin. — **Image 3**Continuation of Constantin's personal letter, including his request for a loan of fifty francs and a note to his cousin.

NRA-L-000410 image 4 showing the closing page of the personal letter, with Constantin's return address, signatures and later figures. — **Image 4**Closing page of the personal letter, with Constantin's return address, signatures and later figures.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000410
Date: 1842-09-27
Original date: à Rochefort le 27 7bre 1842
Type: Personal correspondence
Language: French / fr
Sender: Jean Constantin fils
Recipient: His godmother (unnamed)
Places: Rochefort / Camblanes / Rochefort–Camblanes
Extent: 4 documentary sides: Address panel; Letter text page 2; Letter text page 3; Letter text page 4; 4 digital images.
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000410.

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Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

Monsieur
Deyson Propriétaire
Dans la Commune de Camblane
passant par Créon
à Camblane

Address panel

English translation

Monsieur
Deyson Propriétaire
Dans la Commune de Camblane
passant par Créon
à Camblane

Letter text page 2

Original transcript

à Rochefort le 27 7bre 1842

Chère marraine

Je prends au jourd'hui la plume pour te renouveller les
tendres adieux que je fis lors de mon depart de la maison
paternelle. je pense Chère marraine que tu sera beaucou
surprise ainsi que mon Cousins deyson, lorsque vous
recevrez Ma lettre, oui je le pense elle devra vous surprendre
beaucoup cette lettre, Car jusqu'a present je ne vous avez
jamais ecrit, si je ne lai fait j'ai du moins toujour pensé
à vous autres et je nai jamais ecrit à la maison sans demender
de vos Chères nouvelles. mon Coeur serait bien ingrat s'il
oubliait un seul moment la reconnaissance que je vous
dois a tous les deuse, oui j'ose le dire sans flateries si l'être
Suprême me rendait assez malheureuses pour m'enlever mon
Chèr père de ce monde ainsi que ma mère, les parens et
les amis que je Choisirai pour trouver de la consolation et
des bons Conseils serait vous deuse. je te dirai que
l'année prochaine au mois de mai je crois d'être compté
au nombre des Capitaines, je le crois si fort quil me
semble que Je serai biens Malheureux si j'étais
refusé car j'ose le dire je me croirai Capable de pouvoir
Commander un navire parce que j'ai le goût de mon metier,
et le Commandant de la division Ma promi de me donner un
permissions d'un mois et demis si j'étais reçu capitaine.
je me trouve dans dans le besoins dans le moment que
je t'écris cette lettre et je te prierai de vou loir

Letter text page 2

English translation

Rochefort, 27 September 1842
Dear godmother,
Today I take up my pen to repeat the tender words of farewell I spoke when I left my father's house. I think, dear godmother, that you and my cousin Deyson will be very surprised when you receive my letter. Yes, I think this letter must surprise you greatly, for until now I have never written to you. Though I have not done so, I have at least always thought of you all, and I have never written home without asking for your dear news. My heart would be very ungrateful if it forgot for a single moment the gratitude I owe you both. Yes, I dare say without flattery that if the Supreme Being were to make me so unhappy as to take my dear father from this world, as well as my mother, the relatives and friends I would choose for consolation and good advice would be you two.
I will tell you that next May I believe I shall be counted among the captains. I believe it so firmly that I feel I should be very unhappy if I were refused, for I dare say that I consider myself capable of commanding a ship because I have a taste for my profession. The divisional commander has promised me a month and a half's leave if I am accepted as a captain.

Letter text page 3

Original transcript

Me prêter une 50ne de francs en attendant Mon Chère père
de retour de son voyage l'argent que je te demande te sera
te sera remi lorsque je serai de retour à la Maison ou apres avoir
fait un voyage au Commerce. Je te le jure fois de Constantin,
je pense Chère marraine que je n'aurai pas besoins de te faire
de te faire toutes ces promesses pour te bien persuader que
l'argent que tu me prêtera te sera remis un jour et plus plus tard
que mon retour du service, je te prierai en grâce de vouloi
bien garder le secret ainsi que mon cousins deyson et de
n'en ouvrir la bouche à personnes.. pas plus à mon père qua ma mère
Car si quelque idées à moi inconnues pouvaient te faire
présumer que ce font pour en faire mauvais usage et que
tes intentions seraient de Consulter quelqu'un je te
prie de ne pas m'en envoyer. Mais quoiqu'il en soit je me
faire reponse de ma lettre pour avoir le plaisir de
savoir de vos nouvelles ainsi que de celle de mon petit
Cousins... Je finis en vous embrassant a tous Milles
fois de Coeur en attendant l'heureux jour à moi tant desiré
ou je pourrai vous combler de bénédictions et vous demettre
l'argent que vous m'aurez prêté. Constantin

Cher Cousin

Je t'adresse Cest deuse lignes à tois qui ma toujours par lé comme
un second frère pour te prier de Croire que si je demande
Cest argent a marraine Ce n'est pas pour en faire mauvais
usage mais pour servir à mes besoins. Je gagne au
service à terre 11 francs par mois si j'étais en barque
je gagnerai 30 francs alors je n'aurai pas besoins de vous
demander le peu d'argent que je vous demendes parce que
ma paye me suffirait je suis obligé de puiser un maitre
d'axithmétique sur mes 11 francs que je gagne
par mois

Letter text page 3

English translation

I find myself in, in need at this very moment as I write to you, and I beg you to be so kind as to lend me about 50 francs until my dear father returns from his voyage. The money I ask of you will be, will be returned when I am back home or after I have made a commercial voyage. I swear it to you on Constantin's honour. I think, dear godmother, that I should not need to make you, make you all these promises to convince you that the money you lend me will be returned to you one day, and no later than my return from the service. I beg you as a favour to keep this secret, as must my cousin Deyson, and not open your mouth about it to anyone, neither my father nor my mother. For if some ideas unknown to me should make you suppose that I mean to make bad use of it, and you intended to consult someone, I beg you not to send me any. But whatever the case, send me a reply to my letter so that I may have the pleasure of hearing your news and that of my little cousin ...
I finish by embracing you all a thousand times from the heart, while awaiting the happy day I desire so much, when I shall be able to shower you with blessings and return the money you have lent me.
Constantin
Dear cousin,
I address these two lines to you, who have always spoken to me like a second brother, to beg you to believe that if I ask godmother for this money, it is not to put it to bad use but to meet my needs. I earn 11 francs a month in shore service; if I were aboard ship I should earn 30 francs, and then I should not need to ask you for the little money I am asking for, because my pay would be enough. From the 11 francs I earn each month I am obliged to pay an arithmetic teacher, so imagine how much I must have left.

Letter text page 4

Original transcript

ainsi pense Combien il doit me rester.. je ne te parle pas de la misère
que l'on y éprouve au service ni de la mauvaise nouriture que l'on
Son nous donne tous les jours tu es hommes a pouvoir juger
Combien l'on peut a être mal au service sur tout dans une
Caserne ou il ya 600 hommes. je ne ten dis pas plus long
Concernant le service il y en aurait trop a dire pour
pouvoir te le depeindre Comme il faut.

Voici mon adresse A Monsieur Jean Constantin
fils Marins au Bataillon de Ligne à Rochefort

Je finis en t'embrassant mille fois de Coeur
ton Cousin Constantin

Letter text page 4

English translation

I shall not tell you of the misery we experience in the service, nor of the bad food they give us every day. You are a man and can judge how badly off one may be in the service, especially in barracks where there are 600 men. I shall tell you no more about the service; there would be too much to say for me to describe it to you properly.
Here is my address: Monsieur Jean Constantin junior, sailor in the line battalion at Rochefort.
I finish by embracing you a thousand times from the heart.
Your cousin,
Constantin

Discovery Terms

Personal correspondence
Naval service
Military life
Family relations
Rochefort
Camblanes
France — domestic correspondence

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