Letters from Robespierreâs father
Monsieur,
All the hearts taking their flight towards the sky, are resounding the aors of their plaintive accents; they pray, they conjure, they demand again with loud cries the worthy object of their love which they believe they have already delighted, so much do they fear losing it: ours are the only ones whose voices we do not hear; would they indeed be as mute and as motionless as they appear? No, mine answers for all; all at this moment breathe through it. I donât know what has kept their movements secret until now, and they have undoubtedly prevented, in spite of themselves, from showing outside the fires of love which consume them within. Several times, I have seen it, we have come together to deliberate on certain matters which do not deserve our attention: deciding nothing then, is what we could have done best: only once when it is a question of giving the King a pure, solemn, and indispensable pledge of our attachment to the royal family, shall we fear that it might be said that we have assembled? Lawyers, this title honors us; subjects of France, is a quality a thousand times more glorious for us; it is only by fulfilling it as the most glorious of our duties, in a noble and uncommon manner, that we will truly prove the nobility of our profession and that we will maintain under the asylum of the throne freedom and independence. I expect, Monsieur, from your feelings, the justice due to mine. I have the honor to be with the deepest respect
Monsieur,Â
Your most humble and obedient servant
Derobespierre (sic), Lawyer
Arras December 9th 1765
Maximilien in a letter to Maximilien Baudelot, in which heâs trying to get the lawyers of Arras to come together and publicy plead for the betterment of the the dauphin, who died eleven days after the letter was penned down. Cited in Annales historiques de la RĂ©volution française, number 92 (1939) page 169-170
I, the undersigned, lawyer at the Provincial Council of Artois, renounce, for the benefit of my sisters, my rights and shares in the movable and immovable estates of my mother, acknowledging that I have received from said mother beyond the share that I could claim, both for me and for my children.
Written at Arras, the thirtieth day of October, 1768
(Signed): DEROBESPIERRE
Maximilien resigns from any inheritance whatsoever from his mother Marie de Robespierre (widowed since 1762). The letter is from the same year he departs from Arras and goes abroad. Cited in La famille de Robespierre et ses origines. Documents inédits sur le séjour des Robespierre à Vaudricourt, Béthune, Harnes, Hénin-Liétard, Carvin et Arras. (1452-1790) (1914) by A. Lavoine.
I, the undersigned, lawyer at the Provincial Council of Artois, hereby renounce for the benefit of my sisters all rights and shares in the movable and immovable estates of my late mother, acknowledging that I have received from said mother beyond the share that I could claim, both for me and for my children.
Written at Mannheim, June 8, 1770
Maximilien confirms his resignation from the inheritance of his mother (died May 17 1770). Cited in Ibid.
Before the undersigned royal notaries of Artois appeared M. Maximilien-Barthélemy-François de Robespierre, lawyer at the Superior Council of Arras, residing in said Arras.
Who recognized that, by an act made under his private signature, in the city ââof Mannheim, on the eighth day of June 1770, he declared that he renounced the movable and immovable successions of lady Marie-Marguerite-Françoise Poiteau, his mother, at the time of her death widow of M. Maximilien de Robespierre, lawyer at the Council of Artois. But, having since considered that this renunciation could not have its effect, considering that at that time, he did not have full and complete knowledge of the forces of said succession and that, since his return to this town, three months ago, he has taken perfect knowledge of said estates by inspecting the letters and papers abandoned by said mother, which Marie-Marguerite-Alexandrine-ElĂ©onore-Eulalie and Amable-Aldegonde-Henriette de Robespierre, his sisters, represented and entrusted to him. This is why said sieur appearing has, hereby, declared to renounce said successions and to claim nothing hereunder, giving power to the bearer of the bulk hereof to reiterate where and to whom it will belong. And just now said ladies Marie-Marguerite-Alexandre-ElĂ©onore-Eulalie and Aimable-Aldegonde-Henriette de Robespierre have appered; these have recognized that said sieur de Robespierre, their brother, has given them the titles and papers mentioned herein.
Passed in Arras, the third of October, 1771.
(Signed): de ROBESPIERRE; de ROBESPIERRE, the older; de ROBESPIERRE, the younger,
(and as notaries): MERCHIER, HUSSON.
Maximilien affirms he doesnât want any of his motherâs inheritance yet again while on a stay in Arras. Cited in Ibid.
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