The Marquis D'E- Had Fought Up Against His Condition
With Great Firmness; Wishing To Preserve, And Still Show To The
World, Some Little Fragments Of What His Ancestors Had Been; - Their
Indiscretions Had Put It Out Of His Power.
There was enough left
for the little exigencies of OBSCURITY.
- But he had two boys who
looked up to him for LIGHT; - he thought they deserved it. He had
tried his sword - it could not open the way, - the MOUNTING was too
expensive, - and simple economy was not a match for it: - there was
no resource but commerce.
In any other province in France, save Brittany, this was smiting
the root for ever of the little tree his pride and affection wish'd
to see re-blossom. - But in Brittany, there being a provision for
this, he avail'd himself of it; and, taking an occasion when the
states were assembled at Rennes, the Marquis, attended with his two
boys, entered the court; and having pleaded the right of an ancient
law of the duchy, which, though seldom claim'd, he said, was no
less in force, he took his sword from his side: - Here, said he,
take it; and be trusty guardians of it, till better times put me in
condition to reclaim it.
The president accepted the Marquis's sword: he staid a few minutes
to see it deposited in the archives of his house - and departed.
The Marquis and his whole family embarked the next clay for
Martinico, and in about nineteen or twenty years of successful
application to business, with some unlook'd for bequests from
distant branches of his house, return home to reclaim his nobility,
and to support it.
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