NRA-L-000674 / 1843

Letter announcing the death of Louis Emmanuel

A correspondent reports the death of Louis Emmanuel after a fifty-five-day illness and conveys the confessor's consolation to the family.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000674

NRA-L-000674 image 1 showing an address to Tarascon with circular Marseille and arrival marks.
Image 1Address panel and postal evidence.
NRA-L-000674 image 2 showing a short French letter on a folded sheet, text side 1.
Image 2Letter text - Page 1.

Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Letter page 1

Original transcript

Marseille le 6 juillet 1843

M.

Madame taxil ainsi que sa mere et son fils -
me chargent de vous faire part du coup terrible -
qui vient de les frapper en la personne de leur fils,
petit-fils et frère louis Emmanuel. le pauvre
enfant a succombé sous une pénible maladie de
cinquante cinq jours; modele admirable de foi
de patience d'humilité de modestie autant
vertus qui justifient bien l'épitaphe que son
confesseur a voulu lui donner pour la consolation
de la famille.

Vous demandez pourquoi la mort l'a frappé
si jeune; c'est que comptant ses vertus elle l'a
pris pour un vieillard.

Letter page 1

English translation

Marseille, 6 July 1843

Sir,

Madame Taxil, along with her mother and her son,
have asked me to inform you of the terrible blow
that has just struck them in the person of their son,
grandson and brother, Louis Emmanuel. The poor
child died after a painful illness lasting
fifty-five days; an admirable model of faith,
patience, humility and modesty—all
virtues that well justify the epitaph his
confessor wished to give him to console
the family.

You ask why death struck him
so young: it was because, counting his virtues, it
took him for an old man.

Address panel

Original transcript

Monsieur
de Cadillan
Tarascon

Address panel

English translation

Monsieur
de Cadillan
Tarascon

Discovery Terms

  • Death and mourning
  • Family correspondence
  • Religious consolation

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