Things have been ok so
far for us this year, Michel is walking and talking and Claude
is trying to teach Danielle how to read. Rosalie is engaged to
that friend of Claude's, I can't remember his name now though.
They seem very happy and we (Claude and I) have plans to go over
for dinner later in the week. The status of France is quickly
falling through the cracks though. Most concerning to me is the
fact that Pope Pius VI has condemned The Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the Citizen. If the church does not believe
that man has certain natural rights, what are we to do? I have
just picked up a copy of an adaptation on the Declaration,
The
Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen. It is
just a few changes on the original but congratulations to the
woman who did it!
Back in June, the kind and his family attempted to flee to Austria but were promptly brought back. Claude continued to rant about how the monarchy was week and would not be able to hold up under pressure. He felt that this revolution was simply a weight. There really was no need to fight instead if the third estate raised enough noise, Louis would cover his ears and run. It was a delightful image. Also this past summer the Hell projet du loi which was published by order of the National Assembly ensured that literary property was equivalent to actual property in that it is inheritable and transmissible. These principles were long advocated by the Paris Book Guild but now it was also necessary for a publisher to print the law at the end of every publication. Claude was now forced to add more print to the end of his revolutionary pamphlets and journals as they were commissioned by Robespierre himself. I once asked Claude if he like working for Robespierre, he said, "I'm fight for the people" and left it at that. I've been afraid to bring it up again.
We have just received news today that the new constitution has been written and proclaimed! Maybe the Revolution is coming to an end!