EARLY LIFE OF MIR A BEAU. 93 



In a letter from the marquis to the Countess of Rochefort, the 

 following passage occurs : " A fete is this day given in honour of 

 my mother (the dowager marchioness, widow of Jean Antoine de Mi- 

 rabeau, then 72 years of age). It is the production of my son's tutor, 

 (an indefatigable author and actor of such follies). You will see a 

 little monster perform therein, whom they call my son; but who, 

 were he the son of La Thorrilliere, could not display a greater apti- 

 tude for buffoonery and all sorts of devilment. You will not meet 

 another of your species, except the mother of the little savage, who 

 has found favour in your eyes." 17th Jan., 17&7- 1 another letter, 

 dated 21st of September, 1758, he writes thus : " My son, whose 

 size, prattle, and ugliness are wonderfully on the increase, grows 

 more exquisitely and peculiarly ugly from day to day, and, withal, a 

 most indefatigable speechifier. His mother was yesterday making 

 him some unfavourable declaration on the part of his future wife ; he 

 replied, that he hoped she would not judge him by his face. ' And by 

 what would you have her judge you ?' said his mother with an ex- 

 pression which made us all laugh. ' Oh/ retorted he, ' the under part 

 will make up for the over part;' at which our laughter was redoubled, 

 without our once perceiving that there is matter for reflection in this 

 sally of a child." 



At ten years old, Mirabeau suffered from a long and severe illness, 

 which is thus noticed by his father : " My eldest son is still a victim 

 to the fever, which has continued, with slight interruptions, for two 

 months ; and the most alarming symptom is, that he is as sensible as 

 if he was thirty, and that Poisson is quite satisfied with this unusual 

 and suspicious circumstance." 



A reply made to his mother when she reproached him with study 

 of phrases, and making efforts to display his wit, appears to us worth 

 noticing, as it tends to exhibit the workings of a sensitive mind ; and 

 its efforts, even at that early age, of rising against the pressure of re- 

 peated reproaches of personal deformity " Mother, said he, I think 

 it is with the mind as with the hand whether it be handsome or ugly, 

 it is made for use and not for show." 



Further on we find an anecdote, which places his character in 

 a strong light. " The other day (writes the Due de Nivernois to the 

 Bailli de Mirabeau) in a running match in my grounds, he gained 

 the prize, which happened to be a hat. Turning to a boy who had 

 only a cap, and placing on his head his own hat, which was still very 

 good, < Take this,' said he, ' I have not two heads.' At that moment 

 that youth appeared to me the emperor of the world ; his attitude 

 suddenly assumed something of divine. I mused over it ; I wept at 

 it ; and it proved an excellent lesson to me." 



As we proceed in tracing the career of the young Gabriel, the 

 scenes that develop themselves exactly correspond with our ideas of 

 a highly-gifted being, made up of fierce and indomitable passions, 

 immense energies of mind and body, continually flying off at a tan- 

 gent from the direct path of duty in its struggle against the barriers 

 that would curb them, or when urged by the irresistible impetuosity 

 of its own workings. Deeming itself the victim of an unreasonable 



