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privations　this　loss　of　inheritance　（so　long　counted　on　for　many

comforts）　would　be　to　them。　〃However；〃　added　Goupil；　〃we'll　drown　this

little　grief　in　floods　of　champagne　in　honor　of　Desire！sha'n't　we；

old　fellow？〃　he　cried；　tapping　the　stomach　of　the　giant；　and　inviting

himself　to　the　feast　for　fear　he　should　be　left　out。







CHAPTER　II



THE　RICH　UNCLE



Before　proceeding　further；　persons　of　an　exact　turn　of　mind　may　like

to　read　a　species　of　family　inventory；　so　as　to　understand　the　degrees

of　relationship　which　connected　the　old　man　thus　suddenly　converted　to

religion　with　these　three　heads　of　families　or　their　wives。　This

cross…breeding　of　families　in　the　remote　provinces　might　be　made　the

subject　of　many　instructive　reflections。



There　are　but　three　or　four　houses　of　the　lesser　nobility　in　Nemours；

among　them；　at　the　period　of　which　we　write；　that　of　the　family　of

Portenduere　was　the　most　important。　These　exclusives　visited　none　but

nobles　who　possessed　lands　or　chateaus　in　the　neighbourhood；　of　the

latter　we　may　mention　the　d'Aiglemonts；　owners　of　the　beautiful　estate

of　Saint…Lange；　and　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre；　whose　property；　crippled　by

mortgages；　was　closely　watched　by　the　bourgeoisie。　The　nobles　of　the

town　had　no　money。　Madame　de　Portenduere's　sole　possessions　were　a

farm　which　brought　a　rental　of　forty…seven　hundred　francs；　and　her

town　house。



In　opposition　to　this　very　insignificant　Faubourg　St。　Germain　was　a

group　of　a　dozen　rich　families；　those　of　retired　millers；　or　former

merchants；　in　short　a　miniature　bourgeoisie；　below　which；　again；　lived

and　moved　the　retail　shopkeepers；　the　proletaries　and　the　peasantry。

The　bourgeoisie　presented　（like　that　of　the　Swiss　cantons　and　of　other

small　countries）　the　curious　spectacle　of　the　ramifications　of　certain

autochthonous　families；　old…fashioned　and　unpolished　perhaps；　but　who

rule　a　whole　region　and　pervade　it；　until　nearly　all　its　inhabitants

are　cousins。　Under　Louis　XI。；　an　epoch　at　which　the　commons　first　made

real　names　of　their　surnames　（some　of　which　are　united　with　those　of

feudalism）　the　bourgeoisie　of　Nemours　was　made　up　of　Minorets；

Massins；　Levraults　and　Cremieres。　Under　Louis　XIII。　these　four

families　had　already　produced　the　Massin…Cremieres；　the　Levrault…

Massins；　the　Massin…Minorets；　the　Minoret…Minorets；　the　Cremiere…

Levraults；　the　Levrault…Minoret…Massins；　Massin…Levraults；　Minoret…

Massins；　Massin…Massins；　and　Cremiere…Massins；all　these　varied　with

juniors　and　diversified　with　the　names　of　eldest　sons；　as　for

instance；　Cremiere…Francois；　Levrault…Jacques；　Jean…Minoretenough　to

drive　a　Pere　Anselme　of　the　People　frantic；if　the　people　should　ever

want　a　genealogist。



The　variations　of　this　family　kaleidoscope　of　four　branches　was　now　so

complicated　by　births　and　marriages　that　the　genealogical　tree　of　the

bourgeoisie　of　Nemours　would　have　puzzled　the　Benedictines　of　the

Almanach　of　Gotha；　in　spite　of　the　atomic　science　with　which　they

arrange　those　zigzags　of　German　alliances。　For　a　long　time　the

Minorets　occupied　the　tanneries；　the　Cremieres　kept　the　mills；　the

Massins　were　in　trade；　and　the　Levraults　continued　farmers。

Fortunately　for　the　neighbourhood　these　four　stocks　threw　out　suckers

instead　of　depending　only　on　their　tap…roots；　they　scattered　cuttings

by　the　expatriation　of　sons　who　sought　their　fortune　elsewhere；　for

instance；　there　are　Minorets　who　are　cutlers　at　Melun；　Levraults　at

Montargis；　Massins　at　Orleans；　and　Cremieres　of　some　importance　in

Paris。　Divers　are　the　destinies　of　these　bees　from　the　parent　hive。

Rich　Massins　employ；　of　course；　the　poor　working　Massinsjust　as

Austria　and　Prussia　take　the　German　princes　into　their　service。　It　may

happen　that　a　public　office　is　managed　by　a　Minoret　millionaire　and

guarded　by　a　Minoret　sentinel。　Full　of　the　same　blood　and　called　by

the　same　name　（for　sole　likeness）；　these　four　roots　had　ceaselessly

woven　a　human　network　of　which　each　thread　was　delicate　or　strong；

fine　or　coarse；　as　the　case　might　be。　The　same　blood　was　in　the　head

and　in　the　feet　and　in　the　heart；　in　the　working　hands；　in　the　weakly

lungs；　in　the　forehead　big　with　genius。



The　chiefs　of　the　clan　were　faithful　to　the　little　town；　where　the

ties　of　family　were　relaxed　or　tightened　according　to　the　events　which

happened　under　this　curious　cognomenism。　In　whatever　part　of　France

you　may　be；　you　will　find　the　same　thing　under　changed　names；　but

without　the　poetic　charm　which　feudalism　gave　to　it；　and　which　Walter

Scott's　genius　reproduced　so　faithfully。　Let　us　look　a　little　higher

and　examine　humanity　as　it　appears　in　history。　All　the　noble　families

of　the　eleventh　century；　most　of　them　（except　the　royal　race　of　Capet）

extinct　to…day；　will　be　found　to　have　contributed　to　the　birth　of　the

Rohans；　Montmorencys；　Beauffremonts；　and　Mortemarts　of　our　time；in

fact　they　will　all　be　found　in　the　blood　of　the　last　gentleman　who　is

indeed　a　gentleman。　In　other　words；　every　bourgeois　is　cousin　to　a

bourgeois；　and　every　noble　is　cousin　to　a　noble。　A　splendid　page　of

biblical　genealogy　shows　that　in　one　thousand　years　three　families；

Shem；　Ham；　and　Japhet；　peopled　the　globe。　One　family　may　become　a

nation；　unfortunately；　a　nation　may　become　one　family。　To　prove　this

we　need　only　search　back　through　our　ancestors　and　see　their

accumulation；　which　time　increases　into　a　retrograde　geometric

progression；　which　multiplies　of　itself；　reminding　us　of　the

calculation　of　the　wise　man　who；　being　told　to　choose　a　reward　from

the　king　of　Persia　for　inventing　chess；　asked　for　one　ear　of　wheat　for

the　first　move　on　the　board；　the　reward　to　be　doubled　for　each

succeeding　move；　when　it　was　found　that　the　kingdom　was　not　large

enough　to　pay　it。　The　net…work　of　the　nobility；　hemmed　in　by　the　net…

work　of　the　bourgeoisie；the　antagonism　of　two　protected　races；　one

protected　by　fixed　institutions；　the　other　by　the　active　patience　of

labor　and　the　shrewdness　of　commerce；produced　the　revolution　of

1789。　The　two　races　almost　reunited　are　to…day　face　to　face　with

collaterals　without　a　heritage。　What　are　they　to　do？　Our　political

future　is　big　with　the　answer。



The　family　of　the　man　who　under　Louis　XV。　was　simply　called　Minoret

was　so　numerous　that　one　of　the　five　children　（the　Minoret　whose

entrance　into　the　parish　church　caused　such　interest）　went　to　Paris　to

seek　his　fortune；　and　seldom　returned　to　his　native　town；　until　he

came　to　receive　his　share　of　the　inheritance　of　his　grandfather。　After

suffering　many　things；　like　all　young　men　of　firm　will　who　struggle

for　a　place　in　the　brilliant　world　of　Paris；　this　son　of　the　Minorets

reached　a　nobler　destiny　than　he　had；　perhaps；　dreamed　of　at　the

start。　He　devoted　himself；　in　the　first　instance；　to　medicine；　a

profession　which　demands　both　talent　and　a　cheerful　nature；　but　the

latter　qualification　even　more　than　talent。　Backed　by　Dupont　de

Nemours；　connected　by　a　lucky　chance　with　the　Abbe　Morellet　（whom

Voltaire　nicknamed　Mords…les）；　and　protected　by　the　Encyclopedists；

Doctor　Minoret　attached　himself　as　liegeman　to　the　famous　Doctor

Bordeu；　the　friend　of　Diderot；　D'Alembert；　Helvetius；　the　Baron

d'Holbach　and　Grimm；　in　whose　presence　he　felt　himself　a　mere　boy。

These　men；　influenced　by　Bordeu's　example；　became　interested　in

Minoret；　who；　about　the　year　1777；　found　himself　with　a　very　good

practice　among　deists；　encyclopedists；　sensualists；　materialists；　or

whatever　you　are　pleased　to　call　the　rich　philosophers　of　that　period。



Though　Minoret　was　very　little　of　a　humbug；　he　invented　the　famous

balm　of　Lelievre；　so　much　extolled　by　the　〃Mercure　de　France；〃　the

weekly　organ　of　the　Encyclopedists；　in　whose　columns　it　was

permanently　advertised。　The　apothecary　Lelievre；　a　clever　man；　saw　a

stroke　of　business　where　Minoret　had　only　seen　a　new　preparation　for

the　dispensary；　and　he　loyally　shared　his　profits　with　the　doctor；　who

was　a　pupil　of　Rouelle　in　chemistry　as　well　as　of　Bordeu　in　medicine。

Less　than　that　would　make　a　man　a　materialist。



The　doctor　married　for　love　in　1778；　during　the　reign　of　the　〃Nouvelle

Heloise；〃　when　persons　did　occasionally　marry　for　that　reason。　His

wife　was　a　daughter　of　the　famous　harpsichordist　Valentin　Mirouet；　a

celebrated　musician；　frail　and　delicate；　whom　the　Revolution　slew。

Minoret　knew　Robespierre　intimately；　for　he　had　once　been　instrumental

in　awarding　him　a　gold　medal　for　a　dissertation　on　the　following

subject：　〃What　is　the　origin　of　the　opinion　that　covers　a　whole　family

with　the　shame　attaching　to　the　public　punishment　of　a　guilty　member

of　it？　Is　that　opinion　more　harmful　than　useful？　If　yes；　in　what　way

can　the　harm　be　warded　off。〃　The　Royal　Academy　of　Arts　and　Sciences　at

Metz；　to　which　Minoret　belonged；　must　possess　this　dissertation　in　the

original。　Though；　thanks　to　this　friendship；　the　Doctor's　wife　need

have　had　no　fear；　she　was　so　in　dread　of　going