A FRENCH LAND MURDER--IRISHMEN, FRENCH ECCLESIASTICS--ALGERIAN
PRODUCTIONS--BIRD CHARMING--BRITTANY--CHATEAUBRIAND.
Whilst sojourning in Paris I became acquainted with an _avocat_, named
Vanneau, who practised in a provincial district, and who came to stay,
for a few days, at the boarding-house in the Rue de l'Oratoire in which
I was located. He had been recently engaged in defending persons charged
with criminal acts, and narrated a case by which it appeared that
Ireland had not a monopoly of _land murders_. A. M. Deneubourg had
purchased, at Cambray, a piece of land near Ewars, occupied by a farmer,
named Potiez, who had offered for the property, but was outbid by
Deneubourg. In the evening of the day of sale, the two men, on their way
home, met at a house of entertainment at Ramillies, and some very angry
language passed between them. They left the house, and in some time
Potiez returned to Ramillies, and stated that they had been attacked on
the road, that he had saved himself by flight, but he feared Deneubourg
had been murdered by the villains who had assailed them. On proceeding
to the place described, Deneubourg was found horribly murdered. His head
was smashed to small pieces, and to a club which was found near the body
a portion of his brains and two of his teeth were adhering. There were
no footprints on the soft ground except what corresponded to the shoes
of the deceased or of Potiez, and the dress of the latter was marked
with blood. Various other circumstances fully indicated the guilt of
Potiez. He was convicted, but was not sentenced to death. The French
jury found him guilty of the murder, _under attenuating circumstances_.
I asked Monsieur Vanneau what attenuating circumstances could the jury
discover in so brutal a murder, and he gravely replied that they thought
an accepted offer for the purchase of the property, outbidding that of
the occupying tenant, was a very strong provocation and a natural
incitement to revenge. He then added that Potiez was fortunate in being
tried by a jury on which there was not _a landed proprietor or an
auctioneer_.
IRISHMEN--FRENCH ECCLESIASTICS.
I met in Paris with some Irishmen holding ecclesiastical appointments
there, and I gratefully recollect their kind and hospitable attentions.
One of them, Père M'Ardle, was attached to the Church of St. Sulpice,
which was much frequented by Irish, English, and American Roman
Catholics. His duties consisted in the celebration of Mass, hearing
confessions, visiting the sick, &c.; but he never preached, the pulpit
being reserved for clergymen who could deliver sermons in French with
the ease and fluency incident to their native language. The side aisles
of the church were appropriated to persons of respectable appearance,
who were expected to pay six sous for each chair provided for their
accommodation. The chairs were under the management of some female
attendants, who were most persistent in collecting the chair-rent. On
Whitsunday, 1864, a soldier entered one of the aisles and took
possession of a chair, without the intention, and probably without the
means, of paying for its use. He was immediately required to pay the
usual charge, or to leave the aisle and join the general crowd in the
centre, and he obstinately refused to adopt either course. Whilst the
altercation was proceeding, the Curè of St. Sulpice had entered from the
street, and was passing quietly to the sacristy to make the necessary
arrangements for preaching the sermon. He touched the soldier gently on
the shoulder, and whispered, "My friend, pay her trifling demand; here
is what will enable you to procure the same accommodation for a
considerable time." Slipping a five-franc piece into the soldier's hand,
he passed on and discharged the duty which he had undertaken. On the
next Sunday, (Trinity,) the Curè was confined to bed by a severe attack
of bronchitis, and another ecclesiastic preached, and afterwards went
to the apartment of the invalid to afford his sympathy and express hopes
of a speedy recovery. The Curè almost immediately asked him if he had
observed a soldier amongst the congregation, to which the other replied
that there were more than a dozen soldiers listening to the sermon, and
they subsequently came to the sacristy, where, on being asked what they
required, they replied, "Only the money." On being told that there was
no money for them, they expressed some anger and great disappointment,
as they had been led to believe by a comrade that they would get five
francs each.
On one occasion I was a spectator of a procession of French bishops from
the College of St. Sulpice to the church. Amongst them there was one
Irishman, Monseigneur Cruise; he was the Bishop of Marseilles.
ALGERIAN PRODUCTIONS.
From the abundance and variety of Algerian productions which I beheld in
the Parisian markets, it appeared to me that the country from which they
were supplied possessed great capability of soil and climate, and
received a high degree of cultivation. The finest Muscat grapes, both as
to size and flavor, melons, pomegranates, shaddocks, and all the lesser
varieties of the citron tribe, almonds, brinjals, sweet potatoes, and
what was a very novel sight to an Irish eye in October, splendid
strawberries, met my view in several shops entirely appropriated to the
sale of Algerian commodities. I confidently hope that French enterprise
will be eventually far more successful in Africa than it was on the
other side of the Atlantic. Few of the most valuable productions of the
West Indies are indigenous. They were first introduced by the French
into St. Domingo, and that island was the first to escape from European
ownership. When the sugar-cane was brought from Egypt, the coffee bush
from Arabia, and luscious fruits and stimulating spices from various
lands, the negro was imported from Africa, to be eventually the master
of all. However, the stain of slavery does not attach to the French
rule in Algeria, and from all that I was able to learn of their
government there, I know no reason why all who are desirous of the
substitution of civilization instead of piracy and tyranny should not
wish it to be permanently successful.
BIRD CHARMING.
In closing my Parisian recollections, I wish to notice what was termed
"Bird Charming" in the gardens of the Tuileries. There was a silly
notion amongst some people there that by the agency of animal magnetism,
or by some peculiar power, the feathered tenants of the woods and
shrubberies of the palace became familiar with particular persons, and
the subject was specially mentioned in _Le Monde Illustre_. It was
certainly very curious to see the sparrows flocking about a person,
eating from his hand, and perching on his hat, in expectation of the
crumbs which he was distributing; but it was far more extraordinary to
see the woodquest (_le pigeon sauvage_) come from his lofty nest, alight
at your feet, then perch on an adjoining rail, and pick the crumbs from
between your fingers. Still the "charming" was a misconception. The
birds were in a place where they felt secure; they were not shot at or
frightened, but they were petted and fed, and accordingly became
familiar. I had no magnetic or mesmeric influence, but I had some nice
bread, and they came down and ate from my hand, and some sparrows even
took morsels from between my lips. _Le Monde Illustre_ noticed two
occasions on two consecutive days, when the birds were plentifully fed,
and their feeders were described in terms, of which the following is a
very literal translation:--
"A young man of genteel demeanor, his head uncovered and slightly thrown
back, called the birds, which came fluttering around him, and took, even
from between his lips, the morsels of bread which he offered them. We
wished to discover the secret of this curious proceeding, and returned
at the same hour on the following day. We experienced a great
disappointment; for, instead of a man young and prepossessing, we beheld
'a charmer,' _old and wrinkled, no sparkle in his eye, no expression in
his looks_. He began by throwing into the little railed arbours some
morsels, quickly devoured by the bold sparrows. Then, having gradually
attracted them, he kept in his hand a further supply of bread, and from
the thickets of shrubs, and from the surrounding trees, finally from all
quarters of the garden, birds of various species came flocking and
fluttering around him. Attaining to a degree of _crescendo_ between him
and his feathered guests, he finished by having them perched on his
shoulders, and picking the crumbs from between his lips."
Who could the individual have been, thus designated as old, wrinkled,
unsparkling, and inexpressive? Oh! I hope that none of my readers will
suppose or suspect that such terms were applied to me. I should prefer
being considered "a young man of genteel demeanor," but if the other
description appears more suitable or probable, then--"What can't be
cured must be endured."
BRITTANY.
I left the French capital after a very agreeable residence of eighteen
months, and, previous to returning to my native city, availed myself of
an invitation from a kind and hospitable friend to pass a month with him
at a delightful villa in Brittany, about a couple of miles from St.
Malo. Amongst the people of this locality, I observed a vast
dissimilitude to the corresponding classes in Paris. Display, and the
excitement incident to the metropolitan requirements of frequent and
varied amusements, appeared to have very slight attractions for the
Bretons, whose pursuits and habits were mostly directed to the
acquisition and enjoyment of public advantages and domestic comforts.
Their soil did not appear to me to be superior to the generality of that
which I have seen in the southern half of Ireland; nor did I consider
their climate more genial during the time of my visit, which comprised
the latter half of August and the next half of September. Their exports
of orchard fruits, butter, eggs, and poultry, from the port of St. Malo,
were enormous in quantity, and, I believe, unexceptionable in quality.
The external appearance of their firkins and other packages was
extremely neat and cleanly, and the butter was liable to inspection
previous to its shipment. I was informed by the English Consul that the
exportation of butter amounted in the year to twenty-five thousand
firkins, and the fowls exceeded one million. On the lands which I had
opportunities of viewing in Brittany, I saw very large crops of rape,
the seed of which was intended to be crushed for the production of oil,
and I have been in three concerns where the rape oil was filtered
through charcoal, and thus clarified and qualified for our use as "Colza
oil." Buckwheat (_blè noir_) is considered a valuable crop, and is much
used for feeding poultry. The sugar-beet (_betterave jaune_) is often to
be seen, but is generally mistaken by strangers for mangold wurtzel. But
the most extraordinary production is one which we could cultivate fully
as well and as profitably as the Bretons can, if we were permitted on
any terms. I have seen many acres, even on one farm, thickly covered
with tobacco growing most luxuriantly. Why cannot we see it on the Irish
soil? Why is it utterly prohibited here?
During the wars of the French Revolution and of the first empire, St.
Malo was a port almost exclusively appropriated to the outfit and
employment of privateers. Few of their cruises were eminently
successful; but the greatest prize stated to have been acquired was a
large ship, belonging to the English East India Company, which was
captured in very foggy weather between Jersey and Southampton. The cargo
consisted of the choicest Indian produce, and there was also a very
large amount of specie on board. This affair realized an ample fortune
for the proprietor of the privateer, who retired from any further
speculation in or connection with maritime operations, whether forcible
or otherwise, and invested his gains in the purchase of a fine estate in
the vicinity of St. Malo. During my visit I was at several delightful
entertainments given by families with whom my friend was on intimate
terms; and, at one, in St. Servan, a conversation arose relative to the
great injury inflicted on the commercial navy of the Northern American
States by Southern privateers. One gentleman stigmatized such
proceedings as utterly disgraceful, and insisted that no nation should
ever promote or even countenance nefarious attack on private property,
and the consequent ruin of unarmed and non-belligerent parties. I was
much amused when, on our way home from the repast, my friend informed me
that the indignant denunciation of privateers was uttered by the
possessor of the estate acquired by the capture of the Indiaman, the
grandson of the proprietor of the fortunate cruiser.
The religious tendencies of the people of St. Malo formed a very great
contrast to those of the Parisians. In these pages I shall not
intentionally introduce a word of a controversial or sectarian nature;
but I may remark, that whilst in the metropolis, public and private
works and commercial avocations were unscrupulously pursued on Sundays;
whilst the bricklayer, carpenter, and slater; plied their trades, and
numerous carts supplied them with building materials, the provincial
town was as still and as quiet as the most rigorous observer of the
Sabbath could require in our cities or towns. I went into St. Malo on a
Sunday when the procession of Corpus Christi passed through the
principal streets, and it appeared to me to produce amongst all classes
most devotional effects. The thoroughfare was covered with freshly cut
grass and short sprigs of evergreens. Young females dressed in white
headed the procession, carrying baskets of flowers, which they
occasionally strewed, whilst flowers were abundantly thrown from almost
every window. I firmly believe that demonstrations of any inclination to
impede or offend the numerous sacerdotal functionaries engaged, would
have excited the general populace to a very prompt and violent
manifestation against the offenders. I feel equally convinced that any
similar religious or ecclesiastical demonstration in Paris could not
pass through any street of that city. It would be overwhelmed by mob
violence, not from its connection with any particular creed, but from
the popular dislike to any form of religion whatever.
CHATEAUBRIAND.
Whilst at St. Malo I visited the tomb of a man, the great attributes of
whose character, and the extraordinary incidents of whose life, have
been recently made the subject of a most interesting lecture, delivered
by my truly learned friend, Professor Robertson, and published, amongst
several others, by Mr. Kelly, of this city. I allude to François-René,
Viscount de Chateaubriand, who was born at St. Malo in the year 1768,
and during a life of eighty years witnessed the outbreak and many of the
horrors of the French Revolution; who had, for his personal safety, to
undergo exile and penury, until his literary acquirements and
productions procured for him the friendship and respect of strangers,
and relieved him from indigence. Then, having been enabled to return to
France, he published some romances, and also works of a serious
description, by which he acquired a high and lasting reputation.
Subsequently, having travelled in Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine,
Barbary, and Spain, he made the results of his travels the subject of a
most interesting Itinerary. In 1821 he was sent as ambassador to
Prussia, and in 1822 was appointed to a similar office at the British
Court. Towards the close of the reign of Louis the Eighteenth, he became
the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, but did not continue long in
office; he died in 1848 at Paris, and his remains were conveyed to St.
Malo. I have mentioned Chateaubriand as an illustrious and highly gifted
man, and my readers will be greatly surprised when I add--He sleeps in a
nameless tomb.
In his lifetime the municipality of St. Malo had, at his request,
granted a solitary rock in the bay of that seaport for his place of
sepulture. There his coffin was deposited in a grave cut out of the
solid stone, and surmounted by a granite cross, which marks the last
resting-place of one whose reputation was far more than European. It
bears the short and simple inscription of "Here lies a Christian." (_Ci
git un Chretien._) I believe, however, that the omission of the name has
caused all who have seen the tomb to enquire who was its occupant, and
has not tended to render him forgotten, or his memory unappreciated by
his countrymen.
The foregoing notice of this celebrated native of St. Malo had scarcely
been put in type when I received a copy of _The Tablet_ newspaper,
containing a communication from a French correspondent relative to the
inauguration of a Chateaubriand memorial at St. Malo, on Sunday the 5th
of September last. I presume to insert it in these pages, as strongly
confirming the opinions I have expressed, and being likely to please and
interest the reader by its intrinsic merits.
"_A Statue to Chateaubriand._--Yesterday (Sunday) the inauguration
of the Chateaubriand Memorial took place at Saint Malo. All the
papers are full of recollections of the author of the _Genie du
Christianisme_. Chateaubriand lived at a time when the evils of
revolution had left the strongest emotions in all hearts. There was
a drama in every man's life, a romance in every one's history. The
very air was full of a floating, vague poetry of sufferings and
regrets, and disappointed hopes. Nature and misfortune combined to
make Chateaubriand a poet. A dreamy, unhappy childhood heightened
the sensitiveness of his feelings, and religion itself was to him
as poetry was--emotional. He saw his mother die, heard her last
prayer for himself, the child of her affections, for his welfare,
temporal and eternal. From that day he submitted to the Church's
dominion. 'I wept,' he says, and 'I believed.' He then travelled in
America, and the ocean and the wilderness revealed to the young man
a new kind of poetry. He went to Philadelphia to salute Washington.
Subsequently he travelled into the far West. Returning to Europe,
Chateaubriand endured the miseries of exile. That was the most
unhappy part of his life. It was then that he commenced authorship.
We next hear of him at the siege of Verdun, on the surrender of
which place he found himself without resources. After many
vicissitudes of fortune he reached London, and betook himself
seriously to literary work. The remainder of his history is too
well known to need recapitulation here; I therefore return to the
_fête_ of yesterday. The town of Saint Malo is small but curious by
reason of its sombre mediæval aspect, its granite houses, its
narrow, winding streets, and its absence of greenery--not a lawn
nor a shrub being visible anywhere. Chateaubriand's native townsmen
retain a lively recollection of him, and welcomed the day with
enthusiasm. A large number of strangers also paid their respects to
the tomb of the author of _Les Martyrs_. The emotion was general
when the procession reached the summit of the 'Grand Bé,' and came
in sight of Chateaubriand's monument. High above the waves was an
iron railing and a cross of stone, nothing more. Its simplicity was
touching and effective. Chateaubriand perhaps yielded to a feeling
of pride, in wishing to be buried thus on that elevated spot, with
nothing in sight but the immensity of the heaven and the immensity
of the ocean:--
'Coelum undique et undique pontus.'
Be that as it may, the people of Saint Malo have done honor to
themselves in honouring Chateaubriand. We may apply to him his own
words about Bossuet, 'His genius will stand like the mighty figure
of Homer, always seen through the long vista of the ages. If
sometimes it is obscured by the dust of a falling century, the
cloud soon disperses, and there it is again in all its majesty,
only overlooking new ruins.'"