Herault Defence Squad

HR Office attached to the Committee of Public Safety

[thatsbelievable]

[citoyen-rouge]

This Zine is available to download for free

Making Robespierre’s speeches and ideals accessible for all ✨

[qui-rault]

The angle sucks, but! Here's Herault on the Hotel de Ville!

~Cut to @orpheusmori letting me drag her around the building and straining our eyes to find him, as I grew more frantic because I thought he was covered up by posters~

[orpheusmori]

Saint-Just's pistol from the Carnavalet in Paris!

@qui-rault and I decided that he probably got the gold design added to it later on to make it look more "revolutionary."

[qui-rault]

The man knew how to accessorize

[orpheusmori]

@quia-nominor--leo and i visited the sj bust by david d'angers at the petit palais and managed to get the plait this time!

[didthekingdieyet]

happy pride month to all my fellow fruits who are monarchy haters.

[qui-rault]

Thinking about the signatures of Herault, Couthon, and Saint-Just, on the report on the 1793 Constitution prepared for the Convention.

[qui-rault]

I'm not joking when I say that I think about this letter Couthon sent to Saint-Just at least once a week. 'Embrace Herault' indeed.

[dovesandoranges]

based off that one Antonin Artaud picture

[qui-rault]

Dard on Herault's Library

Updates from Qui live-blogs reading Dard (sort of). I might actually make this into a tag.

After Herault's death, a list of his books titled 'Notice des livres apres le deces du citoyen Herault de Sechelles' was published - as far as I am aware, this notice has not been digitized, but I do intend to figure out a way to see it in Paris.

However, Dard gives a brief summary of some of Herault's personal collection of 4000 (four thousand!!) books, as follows:

A few religious/spiritual books, including, the Bible, 'L'Annee Chretienne' (Letourneux), 'La Conduite de Noailles', 'L'Essaie de Morale' (Nicole), 'La Vie des Peres du Deserts' (Arnauld d'Andilly).

500 volumes of jurisprudence (being a lawyer myself I understand).

Greek and Roman texts both in their language and in translations by the Abbe Auger.

The works of Voltaire in 92 volumes (the edition known as "papier a la Croix").

Rousseau in 34 volumes.

Buffon in 56 volumes.

Descartes in 7 volumes.

Leibnitz (no further info).

Spinoza (no further info).

Bacon (no further info).

Locke (no further info).

Pascal (no further info).

Malebranche (no further info).

Tacitus (no further info).

Thucydides (no further info).

Complete collection of 'Memoires sur l'Histoire de France' (I cannot confirm who the author of this would have been).

'Oeuvres de Frederic II' in 15 volumes.

Montesquieu (no further info).

Raynal (no further info).

'Voyage du jeune Anacharsis en Grece' (Barthelemy).

Various volumes on physics, medicine, and mathematics

Several accounts of travel stories, especially in Italy.

80 English volumes "dans leur texte" (I'm not sure what this means, I am assuming it means that they are in English not translated).

Don Quixote (Cervantes).

Torquato Tasso (referred to as 'Le Tasse') (no further info).

Ludovico Ariosto (no further info) (translated by Mirabeau) (Dard makes awful use of commas so its not clear if translated by Mirabeau refers only to Ariosto or other works).

'LHistoire du Theatre-Francais' in 3 volumes (Demouhy).

'Administrations des Finances' in 30 volumes (Necker).

The 'erotiques aniens' and their Gallic imitators (literally no clue what this refers to).

Also, Herault apparently kept a note titled "Livres qu'il faut relire sept ou huit cent fois" but Dard gives no further information about what books were listed!

Source: Herault de Sechelles par Emile Dard

[orpheusmori]

How was Saint-Just relationship with his sisters? Was it a good one?

Saint-Just was the oldest of three children, and the older brother of Louise-Marie and Marie Francoise Victoire. He was born in 1767, with his two sisters being born soon after in 1768 and 1769. According to Bernard Vinot, shortly after SJ was born in Decize, he was sent to what is essentially a foster care home in Vernueil under supervision of his mother's brother, a priest. In 1771, the young Antoine, or Léon, as his family likely referred to him as a boy, joined his parents and sisters in Nampcel, where his parents moved shortly after he was born. In 1773, the family returns to Decize. Shortly after in 1776, Saint-Just's father buys the house that is known as the Maison de Saint-Just in Blérancourt. Not much can be said of Saint-Just's relationship with his sisters in their early lives, apart from the likely squabbles and playing together that is typical of young siblings. This is because Saint-Just, when he was around 12 years old, went to the Oratorian school in Soissons, and likely only came home for holidays and school breaks. In terms of closeness to his sisters, SJ was a witness to his sister Marie Francoise's wedding in 1791, where his name is recorded as "Louis Léon."

Louise-Marie married in 1790 to the notary Emmanuel Decaisne. It is assumable that Saint-Just had a good relationship with them both, as Decaisne assisted in paying for Saint-Just to publish his Espirit de la Révolution in 1791. From what I have gathered, the couple had nine (!!) children together. Louise-Marie, after her brother's death, was apparently dedicated to keeping his memory alive. According to the historian Lenotre, who visited the Saint-Just family in their town in the early 1900s, Saint-Just’s great-neice upon discussing Saint-Just said, “Poor uncle Antoine!” And this is where the reference to Saint-Just as "poor uncle Antoine" comes from, as his other sister did not have any children.

Saint-Just’s younger sister Marie Francoise married Adrien Bayard, a notary and judge, on the 21st of November 1791. Here is an excerpt of a letter that SJ wrote to Adrien in December of that year:

"I did not know, my dear brother, that the indisposition of our sister would have had consequences; mother had told us to leave her to mend her health. Take care in case the rough waters and air of our mountains should be the cause of her feeling ill. I advise you to make her drink a lot of milk, and to do not make her drink water. 

...  However, by Christmas I will have the pleasure of embracing you both. If you notice that the air is inconveniencing your wife, send her to us for a while; she does not doubt the tender friendship with which she will always be received by us. I hope that this marriage will not have separated us and that we will not forget neither one nor the other, the feelings which must unite us. Write to us, both of you, from time to time, and in particular do not let us ignore, by the time I leave to see you, what will be the consequences of the illness of my sister. I can not wait to see her so I can reassure myself. Cheer up your bride, and above all, make sure she does not experience any domestic grief of the nature of those whom she would not dare to entrust to you. ....

... Farewell. Embrace your dear wife, embrace her even from time to time, for me, so that she will remember that I love her and give her back to you. I am your brother and your servant."

After Saint-Just is elected to the Convention in 1792, he goes to Paris, and likely does not return home again until May 1, 1794 (12 Floréal). We aren't sure how much he communicated with his family while he was away to Paris or on missions, as a majority of his letters and belongings were destroyed and/or sold after his death. But in particular, I find it interesting and admirable how his family preserved his memory and was determined to not let their dear Antoine be forgotten.

[frevandrest]

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful man of the 18th century[1] and the best lover in France universe[2]

[1] Vilate, Joachim, 1794

[2] de Morency, Suzanne, 1799

[qui-rault]

5 pages into Dard's biography of Herault and I am taking emotional damage on each and every single page.

BUT.

Official passport description of Herault!

IF my math is correct 5 pieds 8 pouces translates to 5.6 pieds de roi which gives us Herault standing at a whopping 182 cms.

Tall Herault confirmed.

[dailyherault]

IX.

So, after spending the first part of life making acquisitions and sorting them, we'll spend the other distributing them, varying these gifts, according to the faculties and character with which we're endowed.

Chapter Three - Reading.

[tierseta]

big if true

[frevandrest]

Choose a more horrifying concept

Hérault with Jacobin microbangs

Saint-Just in a wig

Voting ended onOct 10, 2023

[qui-rault]

I mean, Herault with microbangs is just cute:

But the idea of Saint-Just in a wig is terrifying and Wrong.

[qui-rault]

Herault de Sechelles on the fate of Louis Capet

When discussions on the fate of Louis Capet were happening in the National Convention, Herault de Sechelles was away on mission in Mont-Blanc, along with Henri Gregoire (the Abbot Gregoire), Philibert Simond, and Gregoire Jagot. We know that these four deputies sent a letter to the Convention to express their views on the trial of Louis Capet, however, different sources argue over what the intention of the letter was, i.e. whether Herault de Sechelles should be considered a regicide.

I have been trying to find a copy of the letter itself, but have so far not been able to. However, I have found a note that Jeanbon Saint-Andre published in Le Creole Patriote No. 257 on 28 January 1793. It seems that even at the time, the intention of the letter sent by the deputies in Mont-Blanc was disputed, and Saint-Andre published an extract of a private letter he received from the four deputies with the intention of establishing the pro-Revolutionary sentiments of his colleagues. It’s not clear to me if the emphasis on the wish for the death of Louis Capet was emphasized by the four deputies, or by Saint-Andre.

Interesting to note, at least for me, that Herault is the first signature and that the letter writer starts the letter with "je" and switches to "nous". Anyway. Getting real tired of seeing pro-royalist Herault takes!

Quick translation for anyone who's brain cannot deal with French:

Some people pretend to find ambiguity in the way in which the commissioners of the Convention, in the department of Mont-Blanc, expressed their opinion on the affair of Louis Capet, in the letter they wrote on this subject to the National Convention. I believe it is my duty to justice to dissipate the clouds that have been raised over the intentions of these estimable colleagues, to publish the letter that I received from them; it will leave no doubt in people's minds. Jean-Bon-Saint-Andre, deputy for Lot. 

"Dear Saint-Andre, the courier is leaving, I am taking a minute to address you preferably; your opinion on the death of the monster is well known, you have put into it the courage and constancy of a true republican. Why isn't everyone like you? We have tried to imitate you, and we are writing to the Convention our formal wish on tomorrow's deliberation. It is for the death of Louis, without appeal to the people. Do us the service of ensuring that this letter is read... Herault, Gregoire, Simon, Jagot. Chambery, January 13, 1793." 

Source: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1066468n/f4.item