Family letter from Darricau (possibly d'Arricau) to Monsieur Michel, notaire, rue St Dizier, à Nancy, 1834-03-01
Darricau thanks Michel for handling a matter involving his mother, reports that Toulon is peaceful despite newspaper rumours, mentions recent duels, and describes repairs to a frigate.
Family letter
Personal & family correspondence
French
Jean-Baptiste-François Michel, notary at Nancy [high confidence]
Toulon, Var, France
Historical correspondence
Private collection
French language
[[label: Address Panel]] à Monsieur Monsieur Michel notaire rue st Dizier à Nancy Meurthe
[[label: Letter Text]] Toulon le 1er mars Mon cher ami J'ai reçu ta lettre et je te remercie de la manière dont tu en as agi avec ma mère tu as bien fait de ne pas la contredire et de ne pas lui en dire tout ce que tu en sais tout sera terminé comme cela elle ne t'en parlera que lorsqu'elle te demandera la Rente. Je suis fâché de la peine que je t'ai donnée, mon ami, mais tu sais que ce seroit avec le plus grand plaisir que je ferais tout ce qui peut t'être agréable. Quoique quelques journaux ayent eu l'air de dire que nous avons eu des troubles dans ce pays, il n'en est rien, tout y est très tranquille au contraire et à l'exception de sept à huit mauvais sujets chargés depuis longtems du mépris général, tout le monde ici pense bien, cherit le Repos. Depuis deux jours nous avons eu quelques duels, mais il s'agissait de femmes et non d'affaires politiques ; il faut que jeunesse se passe, nos jeunes étourdis s'amusent à s'envoyer des balles par la tête. J'ai toujours le plus beau tems du monde pour continuer mes réparations mais je doute fort que je puisse être prêt avant deux mois la pauvre frégate étoit en mauvais état. Je te prie de ne pas m'oublier auprès de ta Dame et des amis Gely et Mandel Adieu mon ami. Darricau
[[label: Address Panel]] To Monsieur Monsieur Michel, notary Rue Saint-Dizier Nancy Meurthe
[[label: Letter Text]] Toulon, 1 March 1834 My dear friend, I received your letter and I thank you for the way you dealt with my mother you did well not to contradict her and not to tell her everything you know about it everything will be settled that way she will speak to you about it only when she asks you for the annuity. I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you, my friend, but you know that it would be with the greatest pleasure that I would do anything that might please you. Although some newspapers have seemed to say that we have had disturbances in this region, that is not at all the case, everything here is very peaceful on the contrary and with the exception of seven or eight bad characters who have long been generally despised, everyone here is right-minded, cherishes Repose. Over the last two days we have had a few duels, but they concerned women and not political affairs; youth must have its fling, our scatterbrained young men amuse themselves by firing bullets at one another's heads. I continue to have the finest weather in the world to carry on with my repairs but I very much doubt that I can be ready within two months the poor frigate was in a bad state. Please remember me to your lady and to friends Gely and Mandel Farewell my friend. Darricau [[notes]] Rente is translated as annuity. The phrase pense bien is rendered as is right-minded and carries a political undertone. Il faut que jeunesse se passe is translated as Youth must have its fling.
Original item in Neruda Archives.
Private collection, Neruda Archives.
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Neruda Archives
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2 web-resolution images; address side and one page of letter text
Exact year established by the TOULON-S-MER / 2 MARS / 1834 postal cancellation. The manuscript dateline gives 1 March without a year; the later red annotation `(1832)` is incorrect.