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Post by Jacques Bougiedure on Jun 15, 2023 23:32:28 GMT
Lord Huillaume Lagarde de Bearne Grand Duc de Deols Marquis de Bearne Viscomte de Dax Viscomte de Salins Brevet Brigadier General
Your Grace,
I insist that you defend the infamous treatment that you have shown my sister, Brigette Bougiedure. I would have addressed this matter previously had I not been preoccupied with smiting the enemies of the Crown.
As a fellow officer and commander in the service to His Majesty, I expect that you know the heavy burden of following the King’s command when it runs counter to your personal desires. I would anticipated that you would have extended such consideration to those of the weaker sex but you apparently did not.
Such behavior is disgraceful, especially as I have it from my sister that she only submitted to the King’s attentions out of fear for the consequences to you should she have refused. I believe that you have personal experience to that effect.
My sister’s famous virtue remains intact but even if it hadn’t, your abandoning her a mere month after attending you to court where she caught the King’s eye is evidence that your intentions to her over the previous year were less than honorable.
I reflect that when my own excellent Eloise became the object of the King’s attention, rather than abandon her, I threw myself wholly into my duties. My loyalty was rewarded in his Majesty quickly tiring of her and she was restored to me. Such would be the same had you had the courage to bear the indignities of gossip and innuendo that such a situation inevitably inspires.
I implore that you make amends to my sister and my family. If you decline to do so, I demand satisfaction of a more pointed meeting at the beginning of March.
Adieu, Jacques Bougiedure Grand Duc de Chevreuse Duc de Guyenne Duc de Montbard Viscomte de Camambert Brevet Marshal de France
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Post by huillaume on Jun 16, 2023 17:54:00 GMT
Mon ami,
I’m surprised by your request, and I think you must have misunderstood what your lovely sister has told to you.
While I understand your instincts to protect her, I really don’t think I made any wrong to her. It was not me who broke the relationship, and once broken she may not ask me to remain faithful to what does not exist.
Maybe she thought she was doing it to protect me from HM wrath, but she didn’t even ask me about it. I had endured this wrath before for similar reasons, as Emelin kept faithful to our love, and I would never had accused her to hinder my political career, as such a relationship should be above those considerations.
I know your sister is a bit naïve to the court manners, and maybe she thought she was doing right, but by not even consulting me, just leaving, I’m afraid trust was broken, and I was rendered free to keep my own way by her breaking up with me.
About following the King’s orders, as the Spanish dramaturg Calderon de la Barca wrote: "Al rey la hacienda y la vida se ha de dar, pero el honor es patrimonio del alma, y el alma sólo es de Dios..."1. Those are not orders of the King, as otherwise he will give them written, as official orders are. I guess my loyalty to the King is above any doubt, but those affairs are out of it.
I know you’re a just man, and so I ask you to consider, forgetting if you can for a moment your love to your sister, if I really have done anything wrong to her, before you commit the error of defending blindly a unjust cause, something that would bring only shame to you, the result of any duel notwithstanding.
If, regardless all of this, you keep insisting, I’ll cross my rapier with you, albeit with broken heart, and be sure I will not blame you for your love to your sister, hoping things will be really solved with that and our friendship, that I have on high esteem, will not be affected.
I remain, my Lord, your most humble servant
Huillaume
OOC: HLB asks JBO to reconsider his challenge. As player, I really believe he has no reason for it, and if he keeps on it should lose the points for challenging with insuficient cause (though I understand the RPG play of it)
Note 1: roughly translated: To the King, you must give your live and fortune, but honor is a soul’s matter, and soul belongs only to God. From the play “El medico de su Honra” EDIT: "El alcalde de Zalamea", sorry for the confusion END EDIT, written more or less at the time we're playing (1636).
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Post by Jacques Bougiedure on Jun 16, 2023 19:24:52 GMT
Lord Huillaume Lagarde de Bearne Grand Duc de Deols Marquis de Bearne Viscomte de Dax Viscomte de Salins Brevet Brigadier General
Your Grace,
From your letter I understand that you have no intention of acknowledging the wrong that you have done to my sister and my family. There leaves nothing else to be said aside from settling the particulars of our upcoming meeting. I have retained Lord Balls to serve as my Second. If you would be so kind as to forward to him the name of your Second, they can proceed with the arrangements.
As we have duties to His Majesty in Gascony (assuming you are appointed to command of the frontier brigade), I insist upon limiting the duel to first blood. I expect that we shall both survive this meeting but our friendship, I surmise, shall not.
I remain, Jacques Bougiedure Grand Duc de Chevreuse Duc de Guyenne Duc de Montbard Viscomte de Camambert Brevet Marshal de France OOC: JBO challenges HLB to meet him prior to the Royal Ball in the first week of March. Duel will be to first blood.
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Post by Monique Adelina De'Ath on Jun 16, 2023 23:59:27 GMT
To: Lords Bougiedure and de Bearne,
Good gracious, this coming duel is the talk of Paris, who'd ever have thought we should live to see the day when France's finest crossed blades together!
Now, I couldn't but take note of several things, firstly such 'matters of honour' naturally carry a very real risk of injury and, dare I say, possible fatality.....how terrible to think France could, however small the chance, lose one of her favourite sons as I have heard no mention of any medical provision being arranged?
Secondly, it would appear, my Lord de Bearne may be without a formal Second?
Allow me, a dear friend to you both, to step forward to cover both shortcomings, I can do sterling service by attending to any wounds as well as acting as Lord de Bearne's Second thus liaising with Lord Balls to ensure proceedings run smoothly.
I trust the above are acceptable to both parties concerned? Despite being a most busy man I have cleared my diary so that I can be in attendance, however I must add a note of caution too.......should this duel proceed then both of you will be BREAKING THE LAW!! As experienced former government Ministers you are well aware of the laws of our Country and that a duel is an illegal undertaking!!
Clearly this places me in a most difficult situation, me being His Majesty's appointed upholder of the law as Commissioner of Public Safety. You've already seen my commitment to this most important and prestigious role by my recent arrest of the Minister of Justice, a rogue steeped in corruption who stains the very fabric of Government by his odious presence and thus an individual whom I had no choice but to move against with all due haste. The law, after all, is the law, my Lords, can I ever look His Majesty or, indeed, the people of France in the face again with the knowledge that their Public Safety Commissioner only does a piecemeal job?! That the laws of the land apply only to some and not others?
As it so happens, when it comes to true friends, friends that I know aren't really villains, who only find themselves in such a situation due to the very fact that honour courses through their noble veins, actually I could! What is it the English say...ah yes, sometimes the 'Law can be an ass'....I'll make my peace with the Almighty through private confession later....and I hereby give you my guarantee that you shall both be free of prosecution on this occasion, I'll personally see to it that neither of you will face the ignominy of arrest and the shame of being marched, in manacles, to the Bastille. No....no....there is no need to thank me, nor to offer future gratitude, this is what I do as a true friend and sensible agent of the Crown. Don't worry, you're safe with good old Bastian in charge of the Public Safety Ministry.
Esteemed regards,
Lord Bastian Anton De'Ath Commissioner of Public Safety Premier (and popular) physician to the people of Paris Family docteur to the rich and famous Past holder of many important posts.
OOC - BAD offers to act as Lord de Bearne's Second and to provide medical assistance at the duel to any injured party.
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Post by huillaume on Jun 17, 2023 15:52:46 GMT
Lord Jacques Bougiedure Grand Duc de Chevreuse Duc de Guyenne Duc de Montbard Viscomte de Camambert Brevet Marshal de France (as you have stated in not uncertain terms you don’t want me to call you mon ami)
I cannot acknowledge any wrong done to your family, as I have not. If anyone has ashamed it, it has certainly not been me, as I have always treated your sister with the respect she deserves, but someone neither of us will act against, whose respect for women seems not to be so high.
You state your sister’s virtue remains intact, something I have cast not any doubt about, but my trust on her does not, and I guess you don’t want for your sister a relationship not based on mutual trust, and I will not condemn her to it.
This aside, what you’re asking me would be totally unfair (not to use other words) for the Vescomtesse Jean Baptiste, whom I’m sure you don’t want the wrong you’re blindly accusing me to have done to your sister.
I really hope the blindness you’re your love to your sister will fall sometime, and be sure I’ll be there to receive you again. Until this happens, I only ask (even beg) you that this blindness do not affect your duties to the King and Kingdome should you be accepted as Inspector General of Infantry, should you be so appointed (something I really hope for the good of France).
About the duel, as I understand you’ll blindly keep with it, I’ll accept Dr. De’ath offer to be my second, and I suggest Mr Balls, as your second, to arrange the things for it.
Yours sincerely Huillaume
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Post by vinlander on Jun 17, 2023 16:15:03 GMT
TO: Grand Duc Huillaume Lagarde de Deios and Grand Duc de Chevreuse FROM: Lord Auguste Balls Re: Diplomacy between two Great Men
I have been the beneficiary of generosity from both of you over the course of my career, and I would venture to say that without the two of you, I would be a not-very-good lawyer who writes not-very-entertaining scripts that no theatre company wants to perform.
And so it is like a child seeing older siblings fall out to watch the two of you going down the path to this duel. I wish to find a way out that pleases all.
Were there any other personages involved rather than those of whom we speak, this matter would be straight forward. A young lady who was seeing one gentleman has thrown him over for another. The abandoned gentleman has found someone else with whom to spend his time. If there is cause for a duel, it might be between the abandoned beau and the new one.
As we all know, this particular case is complicated by the identity of one party. Given who it is and given his station and responsibilities as well as his power, might we not agree that this instance is unique. It requires a unique solution. It may well be that the usual matters of propriety and honour do not apply here.
I do not have a solution at the moment, but if both of you could agree that we are in uncharted territory in our friendships (and yes, I believe we are all still friends), some creativity and thought might lead us to a better outcome than we will find on the dueling ground.
Naturally, I speak only as an admirer of both of you wishing that this matter can be made to go away. I would not presume to lecture either of you on matters of honour.
Hopefully your friend,
Auguste Balls
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Post by Adam de la Bassée on Jun 17, 2023 19:34:23 GMT
To the Lords de Bearne and Bougiedure respectively,
Good gentlemen forgive the imposition of my council on this most distressing matter.
Together you both represent the Power of both France and God. Within you rests such responsibility and Duty that, while the matter laid before us is one of the most serious insult, I beseech both of you to look to your Duty. The Law is clearly defined in this matter, and from the view of the this lowly churchman is that the Laws of God also stand in opposition to the letting of blood in this fashion.
However, I am also a man upon the world. This man sees the passions bruised and the honour insulted. The need to set these hurts right is a strong imperative and is understandable.
To each I beg, as both Man of the World and as a Man of the Cloth, take the utmost care! These encounters are rife with danger, for the smallest cut can lead to the most debilitating sickness and death. I ask that if this is the course each of you are locked onto, then make what peace with God you will before. Take the care with yours, let them not fall foul of an unexpected death. There have been offers made of the finest medical assistance, it would be foolish and tempting fate to not accept this. Also, please for the peace of this great City let this be an end to it. Let the argument end with the spilling for first blood, France and Paris cannot afford to lose either of you at this time.
To both I deliver this blessing, May God stand as your conscience, let Duty stand as your imperative and let France be your loyalty. May the Holy Ghost watch over you, to whatever end, and bring both back to us with accounts settled. Amen.
Father de la Bassee
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