Letter from Mathieu to Monsieur Soulet (1813)

NRA-L-000421 / 1813

Letter from Mathieu to Monsieur Soulet, 1813-06-09

Mathieu relays news of Chrétien's finances, work, portrait drawing and homesickness, then discusses his own serious fall and relationships within the extended family.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000421

NRA-L-000421 image 1 showing the folded address panel with postal marks, manuscript docketing and a red wax seal. — **Image 1**Address panel with postal marks, docketing and a wax seal.

NRA-L-000421 image 2 showing the first page of a handwritten French family letter dated 9 June 1813. — **Image 2**Letter text - Page 1.

NRA-L-000421 image 3 showing the continuation of the handwritten French family letter. — **Image 3**Letter text - Page 2.

NRA-L-000421 image 4 showing the closing page and signature of the handwritten French family letter. — **Image 4**Letter text - Page 3 and signature.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000421
Date: 1813-06-09
Original date: Rochefort Le 9 juin 1813
Type: Family correspondence
Language: French / fr
Sender: Mathieu
Recipient: Monsieur Soulet, merchant near the market
Places: Rochefort / Champdeniers, Deux-Sèvres
Extent: 4 documentary sides: Address panel; Letter text - Page 1; Letter text - Page 2; Letter text - Page 3; 4 digital images.
Signature: Mathieu
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000421.

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Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

A Monsieur
Monsieur Soulet
marchand près la halle
a Champdeniers
Dept. des deux Sèvres

Address panel

English translation

To Mister
Mister Soulet
merchant near the market
in Champdeniers
Dept. of Deux-Sèvres

Letter text - Page 1

Original transcript

Rochefort Le 9 juin 1813.

Monsieur et Cher Parent,

J'ai reçu une lettre de Chretien du 26 mai;
il me charge de vous témoigner la reconnaissance
et l'attachement dont il est pénétré pour
vous et votre aimable famille; il a dit-il
envoyé de l'argent à Mr. Péquillan,
et il attend qu'il lui en ait accusé la reception
pour lui en envoyer d'autre. Vous voyez par là
qu'il n'est pas dans la gêne. Il m'a dit
que son travail lui donne assez d'aisance,
qu'il est fort occupé, et qu'il vient de faire,
en crayon le portrait d'une jeune personne
de 17 ans, de la plus belle figure et d'une
fortune colossale. Vous voyez que ça n'est pas
pour lui. aussi Ce beau visage ne le

Letter text - Page 1

English translation

Rochefort, June 9, 1813

Sir and dear relative,

I received a letter from Chrétien dated May 26. He asks me to express to you the gratitude and affection he feels for you and your delightful family. He says he has sent money to Mr Péquillan and is waiting for him to acknowledge receipt before sending more. You can see from this that he is not in financial difficulty. He told me that his work provides him with a comfortable living, that he is very busy, and that he has just drawn in pencil the portrait of a seventeen-year-old young woman of the greatest beauty and possessing a colossal fortune. You can see that she is not for him. Nor does that beautiful face

Letter text - Page 2

Original transcript

Console-t-il pas d'être éloigné de sa patrie,
de ses parens et de ses amis. Sa lettre me
ferait craindre qu'il ne soit bientot attaqué de
la maladie du pays. Cependant il m'a dit
qu'il se porte fort bien, ce qui me fait espérer
que sa gaieté naturelle l'emportera sur ses
Idées mélancoliques. je lui reponds aujourd'hui
et lui dis bien des choses pour vous.
je suis très faché que mon accident ait privé
mad. mathieu de vous voir à la foire de niort.
je m'attendais dans cet evenement, qui a été
assez serieux pour moi puisque je marche
à peine, et que je serais fort heureux si dans
deux mois j'en suis quitte, a quelque
marque d'amitié de la part de Mad. jarry
ou d'une demoiselle modeste à qui j'avais
écrit; mais la premiere a juré de ne pas
écrire à la fille, qui n'a d'autre tort envers
elle que de ne pas pouvoir mener son mari,
et la seconde m'a écrit une lettre tardive
dans laquelle elle plaisantait agréablement

Letter text - Page 2

English translation

console him for being far from his homeland, his relatives and his friends. His letter makes me fear that he may soon be afflicted by homesickness. Nevertheless, he says that he is very well, which makes me hope that his natural cheerfulness will prevail over his melancholy thoughts. I am replying to him today and saying many things to him on your behalf.

I am very sorry that my accident prevented Madame Mathieu from seeing you at the Niort fair. In this event—which was quite serious for me, since I can scarcely walk and shall count myself very fortunate if I am free of it within two months—I had expected some mark of friendship from Madame Jarry or from a young lady named Modeste, to whom I had written. But the former has sworn not to write to the girl, whose only fault toward her is that she cannot manage her husband, while the latter sent me a belated letter in which she pleasantly joked

Letter text - Page 3

Original transcript

sur ma maladresse de m'etre laissé tomber au
moment du départ de Mr mathieu.
Je pardonne à Mlle modeste, un peu de legereté
à cause de son age; mais j'avoue que je ne sais
quel jugement porter de la conduite de Mad.
jarry. il faut que l'air de St Symphorien
enleve à ceux qui le respirent toute espèce de
sensibilité. il n'en est pas ainsi de l'air de
Champdeniers, et si tous les hommes avaient
le Cœur aussi bon que le Père de modeste
nous verrions bientot renaitre l'age d'or.
agréez je vous prie, et presentez à toute votre
famille mes sentimens d'estime et d'amitié.
Adolphe qui devient un grand paresseux
embrasse son parrain
Mathieu

Letter text - Page 3

English translation

about my clumsiness in allowing myself to fall just as Mr Mathieu was leaving.

I forgive Mademoiselle Modeste a little frivolity on account of her age, but I confess that I do not know what judgement to make of Madame Jarry’s conduct. The air of Saint-Symphorien must deprive everyone who breathes it of every kind of feeling. The air of Champdeniers is not like that, and if all men had hearts as good as Modeste’s father, we would soon see the Golden Age return.

Please accept, and convey to your whole family, my sentiments of esteem and friendship.

Adolphe, who is becoming very lazy, embraces his godfather.

Mathieu

Discovery Terms

Family correspondence
Homesickness
Portrait drawing
Convalescence
Rochefort
Champdeniers

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