montagnarde1793

I finally finished the paper I just spent the past eight hours writing.
And thus, I bring you randomness, courtesy of Saint-Just:

Okay, so I was flipping through Saint-Just's Oeuvres completes (yes, I managed to insert a quote by Saint-Just into a paper on modern Africa) and found this very short and random "letter to one of his sisters":

Lille, 20 Pluviose [8 February 1794]

My dear sister,

What you ask of me is contrary to you; it is impossible for me to accord it to you. I embrace you with all my heart.

Okay, now I'm curious. Anybody have any theories as to what Saint-Just's sister could have been asking him at that date? Naturally, we're not going to find out the answer, but there's no harm in speculating, is there?

Oh, and a dialogue also written by Saint-Just concerning Organt (which I am too tired to translate at the moment):

M. D. : Monsieur est l'auteur du poème d'Organt ?
L'Auteur : Oui.
M. D. : Vous êtes bien corrompu pour votre âge.
L'Auteur : Et bien sage, peut-être.
M. D. : Que vous ont déjà fait les hommes pour allumer chez vous ce fiel satirique ?
L'Auteur : Je voulais leur plaire.
M. D. : Pourquoi ces malignes allusions ?
L'Auteur : J'ai travaillé d'après des hommes, tant mieux si j'ai attrapé la ressemblance.
M. D.: Vous sapez les rois !
L'Auteur : J'aime les rois, je hais les tyrans.
M. D. : Vous foulez aux pieds les établissements les plus sacrés !
L'Auteur : Ces établissements sont déchus, ils ne sont plus sacrés mais vils.
M. D. : Votre Charlemagne est le roi; votre Cunégonde est la reine.
L'Auteur : C'est vous qui l'avez dit.
M. D. : Votre singe Étienne Péronne est le chevalier Dubois.
L'Auteur : Respectez mon singe.
M. D. : Votre Pépin est le comte d'A... Il acheta, il y a quelques années, un cheval 1 700 louis. Ce cheval s'appelait Pépin et...
L'Auteur : Que Pépin s'appelle cheval !
M. D. : Vous avez honni les états généraux. Ne craignez-vous pas ?...
L'Auteur : Je ne crains rien de rien.
M. D. : Quelle horrible impiété règne dans votre livre !
L'Auteur : Priez pour moi.
M. D. : Quel portrait d'une reine !
L'Auteur : Quel original !
M. D. : Quelle diatribe contre le Parlement, le théâtre, et l'Académie !
L'Auteur : Quelle diatribe contre le bon sens que ces trois corps !
M. D. : Quelle peinture horrible de ?... et de la Trinité.
L'Auteur : Vous riez !
M. D. : Ne craignez-vous pas maître Antoine, dont vous avez honni le cochon et le cochon n'est-il point maître Antoine ?
L'Auteur : Apparemment.
M. D. : On vous rôtira.
L'Auteur : Je m'en fous.

It always cracks me up for some reason.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Does Maxime try to stop him?

Yes, but Saint-Just just keeps going.

"I don't like the way she was writing to you!"
Maxime: "But--but--!"

And really, what could he say? Does he have any legitimate reason for keeping them?

Exactly. It's really just "But--but--." So Antoine just keeps tossing them. As does Eléonore, but for practical purposes. We presume...

...well, probably she has some of the same reason as Antoine; she's just not quite as extreme...

She's discreet. *grins* I LOVE that word!

It is indeed quite spiffy. All the same, it can't be hard to be discreet with Maxime...

Ha! No, probably not. *snickers*

Lucky for him he's surrounded by such ~~over~~protective people...

They do it because they care, really.

Well, no one doubts that they care, but there is such a thing as caring too much, is there not?

In Antoine's case, there's also such a thing as being paranoid. He probably thinks there are love letters from Rousseau somewhere, the way Maxime keeps carrying on about him.

...It would be hilarious if there were! But no.
Tsk, tsk; that's a bit paranoid even for you, Antoine.

One night Antoine just glares at him. "Can you stop talking about that man for FIVE MINUTES? I feel so neglected here."

And Maxime is just confused: "But, but--He's Rousseau!" and starts all over again.

Hehehehe.

elvenmongoose and I once realised something like that would happen. Or...

A: Sooo, tonight, you wanna...?
M: Yes!
A: ...you're enthuasiastic.
M: *nods* May I start?
A: Uh...sure.
M: *leans towards Antoine; reaches above him; grabs book from shelf; flips it open* I JUST got this one yesterday!
A: *headdesk*

That's great....I wish I could write humor. Seriously though... *cracks up*

This of course results in a VERY peeved Antoine. In fact, there is a direct correlation between Rousseau, Antoine getting laid, and the number of guillotinings in a single day. But I believe I'm explained this before.

Yes. And the humidity, remember?

Of course. Imagine if it all happened at once! He might bust a vein, or something.

That would be ~~amusing~~ terrible, just terrible.

He hits the breaking point when Maxime starts wearing a "W.W.R.D." bracelet.

*dies, just dies* That would make for a good one of those cartoons--like the ones at saint-just.net...?

Yeeeeeees..those are SO cute!

If only I knew how to draw like that... (You have to admit, though; the poor translation is one of the best part and it would be somewhat difficult to replicate on purpose, even if I could draw it.)