MIRABEAU.

223

passed before the marquis would see him, but, whenhe did, he expressed himself to his brother in morefavourable terms than he had ever before done. Occu-pied in the task of reforming, he even began to praisehim. It is to be remarked, that the interloper in thefamily, madame du Pailly, was absent at this time, andthe son was allowed to make his own way with his father.

The end of all the marquis’s actions was to reunitehis son to his wife. This was a matter of difficulty, andthe greater on account of the sentence pronounced againstMirabeau at Pontarlier , on occasion of his flight withmadame de Monnier. Many plans were projected to getrid of this sentence; the readiest was, to obtain lettersof abolition from the king. But Mirabeau refused aline of conduct which would have saved him only ; hewas determined that his cause should not be separatedfrom that of Sophie. With a resolution worthy of his 1782.impetuous and energetic nature, he surrendered, and ZB tut.constituted himself prisoner at Pontarlier while the :53,cause was again tried. He was counselled to take theline of a timid defence, but he refused. Convinced ofthe irregularity of his trial, and the want of all judicialproof against him, he met the most imminent dangercalmly and resolutely. His father writes :—“ His con-duct is firm, and his position as advantageous as possible.

He is praised for his nobleness and audacity in thesingular tone of his appeal against a capital sentence.

Now that I see him in saddle, he holds himself well,and has this real advantage with the public, of entirelyexculpating his accomplice, on which he is resolved atall events. You have no idea of what your nephew ison great occasions.” Nor did the imprisonment ofmonths in an unhealthy and narrow dungeon move him.When his father desired to attempt measures of concili-ation with the adversary, he declared that the view ofthe scaffold under his window would not make himaccept any propositions while in prison. “ I have saidto my father,” he wrote to his brother-in-law, M. duSaillant, “and I repeat to you, that, before God and man,