Catherine Gore

[anon.]. The Letter de Cachet:  a Tale; and The Reign of Terror:  a Tale

London:  J. Andrews, 1827.

 

Synopses

Interestingly, this single volume is comprised of two works both published simultaneously in 1827. Although one might expect there to be a connection between the two works, there is no obvious connection other than their settings in France and their overall tragic plots.

An interesting note about this particular work that reveals a bit of the character of Catherine Gore and the trends of novelists at the time is found in the preface. There she argues for the publishing of this work as a single volume. Gore writes:

Gore's comments and perspective on the popular tendency of publishers to require multiple volumes from novelists -- something often encountered in our own review of early 19th C. novels -- is telling of her eagerness to establish herself as a writer.

The Lettre De Cachet: A Tale

A lettre de Cachet is a 17th century term applied to a "private, sealed document, issued as a communication from the king. Such a letter could order imprisonment or exile for an individual without recourse to courts of law."

At the novel's beginning, the reader is granted access to the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, and introduced to the Marquis de L------, Gustave, as he encounters it for the first time. Gore paints a vivid picture of the importance of such an event as viewed by the fashionable nobility in 17th C. Paris. Gore writes, "It is not remarkable that a presentation at court, under favourable auspices, should have been considered by a young aspirant, as inferior only to an introduction within the gates guarded by St. Peter himself" (5). Gustave is instructed in the details of court etiquette, he "ran no trifling risk of becoming a mere pitiful, cringing, formal, well-bred Marquis de L., full of idle pretensions and narrow designs" (8). Surprisingly, however, his preparation for his introduction at court is interrupted as his father, the Duc de L., requests a seven-day sabbatical from his training to spend time with him at the Chateau de L. It is at this point that the reader is informed of Gustave's unfamiliarity with his father whose cold, formal demeanor has been often interpreted as apathetic by all who encounter him. This is to be Gustave's first "domestication" with his father. During their first evening together, the Duc begins an emotional appeal to his son, expressing his regret for the way hey had thus far neglected his son and his intentions to reveal to him the history of his early life. This is where Gore's tale truly begins.

The Duc proceeds to give Gustave a manuscript describing the adventurous and troubling events of his youth. In his youth, the Duc's sister had been sacrificed to a cloister in order to maintain the extravagant lifestyle of their father and mother by avoiding the payment of a dowry. Similarly, the Duc had been promised to an "ill-assorted union" to add to the estate of his father (21). As the Duc had not yet reached the appropriate age, he was intended to complete his education, taking a tour through Europe under the instruction of a tutor, Monsieur de Tervines, for three years. His tour led him and his tutor, who permitted him many "excesses," to Italy for study and an experience of the carnival at Venice (26). They attended the carnival with Prince Caratelli, a friend from a very distinguished, Italian family of accidental acquaintance in Milan. Caratelli's influence introduces the young Duc to immoral pleasures that often accompany wealth and position. After leaving a drunken riot during the last days of the carnival, the Duc and Tervines found themselves in a quarrel over a "worthless woman" with Caratelli and some of his other friends (28). The Duc disarms one of them but Caratelli is somehow mortally wounded in the conflict. On his deathbed at a nearby monastery, Caratelli admits his responsibility for what happened and instructs the Duc to flee from Venice to avoid the law. Dressed as Tervine, who would remain behind, the Duc flees for Rome.

At Rome, the Duc would assume the name Lavisier and the position of a young, French artist-abandoning his name and societal rank to avoid suspicion of his connection to the murder of Caratelli. Having had some education as an artist and an interest in painting, he visits the studio of an accomplished historical painter named Geriglio. The Duc, possessing a talent and predisposition for painting, quickly wins the favor of Geriglio and becomes his leading pupil. The Duc expresses pride at being recognized for his accomplishments and not his rank. Visiting a Villa, to which he had been forbidden to attend by Geriglio, he encounters a beautiful young girl, Armina, painting a well-known portion of the local architecture accompanied by her mother, Monna Lisana (connection to Da Vinci's Mona Lisa?). He is immediately intrigued by Armina and, after their departure, proceeds to determine the place of her residence and her family connections. He returns to the location of their meeting and follows them home when they leave. The Duke is astonished, almost disgusted, and extremely disappointed to discover their residence in the Ghetto degli Ebrai, the quarter of the Jews.

He abandons his pursuit of Armina, and having another year to commit to his education before returning home, he returns to his study of art with renewed vigor and again establishes himself as the favored and promising pupil of Geriglio. Soon after this, he discovers, to his astonishment, that Armina is in fact the daughter of Geriglio. Well aware of the nature of his master, he determines to gain access to Geriglio's family circle not by revealing his distinction by rank but the genius of his mind. Gore describes Geriglio as a "democrat in his political principles, a zealous defender of popular rights, and an enthusiastic worshipper of the arts" (60). Furthermore, he desired a son-in-law "of his own station" to be married to his daughter, Armina (60). The Duc, or Lavisier, proceeds to make his intentions known for Armina to Geriglio by painting her portrait. He succeeds in gaining the favor of the father and he and Armina are wed-despite having left his true identity and history unrevealed. They passed the next year in joyful bliss in Rome, eventually providing a grandson for Geriglio to hold before he dies.

Meanwhile, his former tutor, Monsieur de Tervines dies and the Duc de L. is called back to Paris by his father. He plans to return with his wife and infant son in hopes of legitimizing their marriage with his parents. Armina agrees to go with him willingly. She responds to his request to accompany him with the Biblical words "thy country is my country-and thy God my God," completely ignorant to the identity of her husband or his family and of her husband's intended betrothal to Mademoiselle de Viry (79).

Unbeknownst to his family or anyone, the Duc de L. hides his wife and son in a comfortable cottage outside Paris while he resumes the courtly connections and obligations of a noble, Parisian family of position at the subtle, calculated urgings his mother, the Duchesse de L.-all this understood as his responsibility with the workings of a law suit in Paris by Armina. As he becomes reacquainted with a fashionable lifestyle, the young Duc begins to return to his wife and child with increasing irregularity.

Eventually,the Duc reveals the secret existence of Armina and his (now) two children and his intention to legalize their marriage to his mother-imploring her to appeal to his father on his behalf. The Duchess's responds with an agreement to take responsibility for his wife and children. As he leaves his wife and child after visiting them there soon after, he is arrested on the way back to Paris by order of the King for word had spread of his intention to fight a duel with another noble-the result of a conflict he had previously had with another noble. Due to what he is told is his mother's influence, he is charged to serve a period in the army instead of imprisonment. His mother agrees to watch his wife and children in his absence and maintains a correspondence with him as to their wellbeing, often writing on behalf of Armina. As months go by, the writings from Armina become increasingly cold until he eventually receives a letter expressing her intention to join a cloister and the shocking news of the death of their children-news he had never before received. Shortly after, he is granted freedom to return to Paris.
Full of despair, he returns home and the name of Armina is never again spoken among his family. Again at the pressuring of his mother, he is restored to the royal court, and encouraged to pursue another marriage. The Marechal de Viry, whom he was originally intended to marry, no longer lived; but eventually he is married to Julie D'Humierie-the mother of Gustave-whom he admitted he never loved. Their mutual disinterest and the nature of their busy lives allow them to live separate lives, and she eventually has an affair. Unable to endure her subjection to public condemnation, she dies while Gustave is still very young.
After assuming an early retirement from the obligations of the Court and the sudden death of his mother in a carriage accident, the Duc de L. returns to the Chateau de L.-the residence of his childhood and where his parents had resided. Going through his mother's things, the Duc discovers a desk full of letters. He is astonished to discover that their contents betray his mother's proposal of his arrest that had sentenced him to service in the army, separating him from his family. Astonishment turns to horror as he discovers a packet containing a series of correspondence between Armina and his mother. These express first Armina's refusal to deny her husband; then in a later letter her resignation to the demands of the Duchesse de L. after her children had been forcibly removed from her at the order of the Duchesse, pleading desperately to have them returned to her. Armina was then told her children had died in their absence, when in fact the older had survived and was sent to apprentice a tanner at a nearby city. He became a criminal and was executed by the state. Armina became insane with the news of the death of her children and is admitted to a public hospital where she eventually dies. After reading these letters, Gores tale concludes as the Duc vows to God "that no intreaties should ever induce me in my ministerial career to grant a Lettre de Cachet!" (188). The Duc's letter to Gustave seems to warn him of the vain and corrupt pursuits associated with fashionable society and the royal court.

The Reign of Terror: A Tale

The Reign of Terror is set in the period of the French Revolution, beginning just before its inception. The tale begins with a gothic-like description of Chevalier (Leon) de Rochemore's arrival at the ancient Castle of Rocquigny. He has arrived to attend the wedding of his two best childhood friends, Comte (Ernest) de Clairville and Estelle de Rocquigny. From this point until the end, Gore alludes to the baseness of his character, but describes no action and only a little insight into his mental processes to reveal this to be the case for a majority tale. Estelle had been betrothed to Ernest for some time, but a mutual affection had developed between her Rochemore-though this was lost on Clairville. Madame Marechale d'Olonne, the grandmother of Estelle, was aware of this development and sought to convince her of her error. Rochemore himself was intended for Clairville's younger sister, Louise, for whom he expresses no interest. Still, Estelle claimed to have no feeling for Rochemore; and he even declared no such affection for her. However, the amount and quality of their time together revealed otherwise. Then, Rochemore left without explanation for quite some time. While he was gone, Estelle gradually became convinced of her grandmother's prodding to the point of exhibiting even a degree of enthusiasm for her coming marriage to Clairville.

Rochemore's arrival on the day of Estelle and Clairville's nuptials has an unsettling effect on Estelle. She is visibly shaken and eventually brought to tears, but Madame d'Olonne is quick to attribute this to the heat of the ballroom and the labors of the day's events in light of the observing guests. Rochemore eventually takes an opportunity to express his feelings to Estelle and she discovers that she still has feelings for him, but is resolute in her commitment to Clairville-who remains oblivious throughout.

For the next few days, Rochemore persists in his quiet pursuit until he is eventually brought to a confrontation with Madame d'Olonne where he questions her distaste for him from their first acquaintance in the presence of Estelle who silently, sadly observes. Madame d'Olonne's cold, critical revelation of his dishonorable conduct infuriates him until he passionately exclaims in what is to be the most revealing account of his character until the end of the tale, "Be it so! The curse of my withered soul be on thy head!-and by the agony of my heart, I devote thee and thine,--I devote this house and household, to execration and anguish! Let them live in misery, and die in shame!" (284). Inspired by passion her rushes to Estelle and implores of her affection once again. This time, however, the (now) Countess de Clairville responds as though realizing for the first time the inappropriateness of his conduct. She confronts him, that if he truly felt as he said he did for her, he would have learned to spare her the heartache he has brought on her and potentially her husband, his friend, and done the honorable thing, letting them go. She calmly, confidently asks him to go; and he takes off. Shortly thereafter, he receives a letter from his intended bride, Louise, revealing her intention to join a cloister and releases him of his betrothal to her.
Rochemore leaves for America to become a prosperous settler in Louisiana for many years. He returns to his homeland only to acquire the estates and title left him by his deceased uncle, the Comte de Merangeres. With a newfound wealth and name, he begins to enjoy the pleasures and connections of position, accompanying Chevalier de Boufflers on a tour through England. Upon his return to France he is invited to attend a gathering at a recently purchased property of a well-known son of a general. There he is surprised to re-encounter a much-matured Estelle.

Soon he is reintroduced to the circle of his childhood friends and seems to have become much improved in his behavior and intentions. Madame d'Olonne is the only one to suggest that his character might yet remain in question. To which Estelle replies that none of them are the same as what they were in their youth and he is far too presently concerned with political issues to have designs that could harm them in any way. Madam d'Olonne is not surprised, she replies, "I might have guessed so. […] It was natural, it was inevitable, that so perverted a mind should readily receive the baleful seeds of the new doctrines. No doubt, your admirer is a member of the Jacobin club" (317). At this point, Madame d'Olonne goes on to address the social milieu, to prophecy of the "ruin and desolation" that awaits their "most unhappy kingdom" (319) and calls for a preparedness to "fall with decency" (321)-anticipating the ultimate victory of the masses and downfall of the nobility.

The sense of unrest begins to heighten as Estelle's brother is killed in a duel over a political argument and the father soon passes as well. It becomes increasingly dangerous for nobility and they are essentially confined to their property. Eventually, they are alarmed when Clairville is gone for much too long when they receive word that he is to be denunciated and he had sought refuge at the home of a friend to escape. He informs them that they must leave the country and they resolve to leave Paris that night. In order to do so, Estelle pleads to Rochemore to acquire passports for her and her family that they might escape to Geneva. He does so and the family leaves, first Clairville and his sister, and then the grandmother, Estelle, and her son intending to meet eventually at a city outside Paris. Estelle's carriage is stopped along the way by an angry mob, however, and the grandmother is killed but Rochemore is there to save the mother and son. He hides them away in a secret room in his mansion and before he is imprisoned for his efforts to save the aristocrats. They hide away for some time and Rochemore is released and are believed to be dead. Word eventually reaches them of Clairville's capture and death sentence. Rochemore pleads with Estelle to marry him for her protection, and procures their former Rocquigny estate as a respite for them. She eventually, reluctantly consents but overwhelmed with the traumatic events sits depressed in her room day in and out.
Just as Rochemore is succeeding in regaining her affection, he receives word that Clairville had escaped prison and yet lives. At this point, Gore reveals his involvement in their original capture-his schemes to have Clairville arrested and obtain Estelle for himself. Maddened by the news, Rochemore grabs his pistols and rushes to find Clairville and challenges him to a duel. It is not till he confesses of his schemes that Clairville rushes at him and shoots him, killing him. Clairville rushes to his former estate to find Estelle sleeping, but just as she wakes to see him the National Guard enters to take him away. In the commotion, Estelle, overtaken by grief and despair, silently walks to the balcony and flings herself over the edge onto the rocks below the Chateau. Her son only survives and is said to later have had that portion of the rock where she died removed from the property.

-- Prepared by Levi Drake, University of Nebraska, April 2006.
© Levi Drake, 2006.