Difference between revisions of "Girard0231"

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[[APM]] Z 208  
 
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''Translation Jessie Munro 2005, still to be checked.''
 
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:no 22 huile de pied de boeuf = neat foot’s oil [Robin’s triumphal and accurate, as it turned out, accurate guess. It sounds nastily gelatinous!]
 
:no 22 huile de pied de boeuf = neat foot’s oil [Robin’s triumphal and accurate, as it turned out, accurate guess. It sounds nastily gelatinous!]
 
:no 23 pieds de mouche = paragraph marks
 
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''Translated by Fr Brian Quin SM, June 2005''
 
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Kororareka, 7 January 1843
 
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Very dear Father
 
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After spending so long a time without writing to you, it will be, no doubt, difficult for me to find some reason for restoring myself to your favour. However, as I value your affection in a very particular way, I want to do everything I can in future to show you gratitude which will last, I dare to hope, beyond this short life. But, very dear Father, would I have so forgotten you? Would I have become ungrateful? Oh! no, my heart never experienced ingratitude. In the midst of following the passions of youth, this heart never allowed itself to be vanquished in generosity. So our holy religion, far from making it <ref>the heart - translator’s note</ref> less sensitive, will purify these fortunate dispositions. Ah! may it please God that it would be as easy for me to express to a real friend the feelings of affection with which I am filled for him!
 
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So I am beginning today, very dear Father, to write to you, as well as to my other benefactors. If you except three letters addressed to our Superior General, two of which were forced, as it could be said, by great duty, you will realise that I have sent only one solitary missive to the most loving and most loved of the Fathers.
 
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[''p''2] In that, I have acted according to my old principle of maturely studying each new situation God leads me to experience, before giving any sign of life. In that way I allow myself to become aware of the judgment which Divine goodness is pleased to allow me, and I hurt no one. Now, living in the midst of a community which is ceaselessly changing, and placed between two extremes, the Fathers and the Brothers, I sometimes find relationships a bit difficult. That voyage over the sea, if crossed, [''si traversé''] and yet of happy memory, has left a trail of difficulties which resignation alone will enable me to overcome. If you add to that the success of our printery, which seems to be bringing to a halt the flood which was about to engulf us, you will have no difficulty in believing that the devil will not let me have a day of peace. But the faithful Virgin, my tender mother, who brought (us) to harbour after some months of sailing in the first voyage, will also guide the barque in this great and last voyage <ref>By ‘the barque’ he seems to mean ‘the Church’ or ‘the mission’ - translator’s note.</ref> After all, I have good reason to rejoice at taking my position where Mary herself has placed me, and where I can safely work at the business of my salvation. You see, very dear Father, that I count a lot on the interest you have in me, to be able to speak to you so frankly. It is to tell you that I have a deserved right to your fervent prayers.
 
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Your last letter was a consoling balm to my soul. How fortunate I am, I cried, to have left in France three friends so generous, so disinterested! As well, the only thing to which I really cling in this world, is to show them my gratitude, and to never grieve them in any way. Yes, our very Reverend Father, the good Father Poupinel and the excellent Father Montargis are like three mothers which Mary has given to one of her children <ref>This Father Montargis is not listed in the index to ''Origines Maristes'' which covers Marist history up to 1836, only six years before this letter was written, nor in the Society of Mary necrology 2001, so he is likely to have been a diocesan priest - translator’s note.</ref> I will do everything I can to help allay the difficulties inseparable from their numerous works. I will neglect nothing to work for the success of the work to which they have sent me, in the way my Superiors wish, well [''p''3] persuaded that in doing so, I will be doing the will of God.
 
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I am now, very dear Father, going to talk about temporal matters, which still contribute powerfully in a mission, to the conversion of peoples. You will have experienced, like the Bishop the effects, certainly very serious, of an unfortunate situation. If, as I have every reason to hope, good Father Epalle has destroyed all the disquieting doubts about the future <ref>Epalle had, in the face of a financial crisis facing the mission, gone to Europe in mid-1842 to get money - translator’s note</ref> the great sacrifice that you will have made will have restored calm to (our) spirits, at the same time assuring the progress of your interesting mission. Because, and you really need to be convinced of this, it is your work that you are supporting; the workers you have sent are not working only for them(selves).
 
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You will receive, enclosed, a list of things to be bought by M[onsieu]r Marc for our printing workshop, binding etc. Everything I ask for is or will be indispensable in 12 or 15 months. You will see a copy of this list in a letter I am writing to good M[onsieu]r Marc, telling him to go along with small changes you can make to it. I say this to show my subordination (to you).
 
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The Bishop will soon write to Messrs Grouet, Leveneur, Poisson and Marc, all inhabitatns of your good Normandy. As for me, allow me, very dear Father, to refuse the request you made of me. I am too miserable to take part in correspondence like that, and besides, my feeble knowledge would soon betray me.
 
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As I have told you, I am making a great effort over letters this time. I am going on, without taking breath, to write to Messrs Poisson, Marc, Montargis and the Superior of the [Convent of the] Visitation at Caen.
 
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Please accept the assurance of the high respect and devotion,
 
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very dear Father.
 
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of your very humble and obedient servant in J[esus] C[hrist]
 
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Kororareka, 7 January 1843
 
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Please offer my respectful homage to our very Reverend Father, and to the good Fathers I had the honour to see in Lyons.
 
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::Yvert
 
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Revision as of 21:41, 18 September 2007

Doc. 231, 7 January 1843, Yvert to Poupinel, Kororareka

APM Z 208


Translation Jessie Munro 2005, still to be checked.

Very dear Father

After letting such a long time pass without writing to you, it would no doubt be difficult to find some excuse to restore me in your good graces. However, since I hold dear your affection in a quite special way, I don’t wish to leave it neglected into the future in order to show you a gratitude that will endure, I dare to hope, beyond this brief life. But very dear Father, would I have forgotten you? Would I have become ungrateful? Oh, no! my heart never felt ingratitude. While following the passions of youth, this heart never wished to let itself slip in generosity of spirit. So, our holy religion, far from rendering it less sensitive, will purify these fortunate dispositions. Oh! Let it please God that it may be sufficiently easy to overcome our bad leanings; how sweet it is to express to a true friend the feelings of affection for him which fill my being!

So I begin to write to you today, very dear Father, as well as to my other benefactors. If you don’t count three letters addressed to our Superior General, two of which were even dragged forth out of a pressing obligation, you will know that I have only managed to produce one missive, to the most loving as to the most tenderly loved of the Fathers.

In that, I have followed my former principle of examining maturely each new situation where God has caused me to be, before giving sign of life. By those means, I let the judgements come to me that it pleases the divine goodness to allow, and I don’t hurt anyone. Now, living in the midst of a society in constant change and placed between two opposite poles, the Fathers and the Brothers, I sometimes find relationships a little painful. This sea voyage, so hard-crossed, and yet of happy memory, has left behind a trail of difficulties only resignation will be able to overcome. If you add to that the cares of our infirmary, which seems to stem the torrent that was ready to engulf us, you will have no trouble in believing that the demon will not leave me a day of peace. But the faithful virgin, my tender Mother, who brought us safe to port after several months of navigation in the first trip, will also lead the barque in this great and last vopyage. After all, I have good reason to rejoice in filling a post where Mary has placed me herself, and where I can work securely in the matter of my salvation. You see, very dear Father, that I rely a lot on the interest that you show me, to be speaking to you with such frankness. That’s to say to you that I have an earned right to your fervent prayers. Your last letter brought consoling balm to my soul. How happy I am, I exclaimed, to have left behind in France three such generous-hearted, unselfish friends. So, the only thing to which I hold most strongly in this world is to show them my gratitude, and never to sadden them in any way whatsoever. Yes, our very Reverend Father, good Father Poupinel and excellent Father Montargis are like three Mothers that Mary has given to one of her children. I will do my utmost towards softening the inseparable difficulties of their numerous works. I will let nothing slip in working for the success of the work for which I am sent by them, in the way my Superiors will want, well persuaded (p. 3) that in that I will be doing the will of God. I now pass, very reverend Father, on to temporal affairs, which in a mission always contribute powerfully to the conversion of peoples. You will have felt, like His Lordship, the effects, doubtless very hard, of an unfortunate situation. If, as I have every reason to hopee, that good Father Epalle has destroyed all the worrisome doubts as to the future, the great scarifice that you will have made will have restored calm to spirits while at the same time reassuring the progress of your interesting Mission. Because, you need to be utterly convinced, it’s your work that you are upholding, the workers that you have sent are not working only for themselves. You will find enclosed a list of items to have purchased from Monsieur Marc, concerning our printery, bindery workshops etc. All that I request is or will be absolutely essential within 12 or 15 months. You will see the duplicate of this list in a letter I am writing to good Mr Marc, telling him to follow any small alterations that you might make to it. I add this comment to show my dependence.

His Lordship will write shortly to Messieurs Grouit, Leveneur [Leherpeur?], Poisson and Marc, all living in your lovely Normandy. As for me, allow me, very dear Father, to refuse you the request you made of me. I am too wretched to feature in such a correspondence, and moreover my feeble range of knowledge would soon betray me. As I have told you, I am putting myself [en frais de lettres] this time. I am carrying on to write, without drawing breath, to Messrs Poisson, Marc, Montargis and the Mother Superior of the Convent of the Visitation in Caen.

With greatest esteem and devotion,
Your very humble and obedient son in J.C.
Yvert

Please pass on my respects to our Very Rev Father and to the good Fathers I had the honour of seeing in Lyon.

Translation notes by Dr Thoron Hollard, with Robin Anderson, Wellington 14/11/03

Work in progress. Marty Vreede, senior lecturer in printing at Unitech in Wanganui, is an expert in traditional printing processes and presses. He will be able to help complete this translation. (Jessie Munro)[page 1]

  • 1o une presse raisin – presumably a small printing press (see 4 below), sans encrier = without ink trough...
  • 3o 3000 reams of papier carré (not ‘cané’ as I thought – there are 2 kinds of r in the handwriting in the document I realise)= demy format printing paper. Collins gives dimensions as 17 1/2 x 22 1/2 ins (or 444.5 x 571.5mm) Collé may mean it is a thicker paper or may refer to some sort of coating – we aren’t sure.
  • 4o 50 reams of papier raisin = 50 x 65cm (approx. = royal) [so-named because of its watermark – Petit Robert)
  • 6o peaux unies – plain leather (as opposed to coloured)
  • 11o the gilding tools have a sort of wheel bit but we don’t know exactly how to describe this
  • 14o vignettes could either refer to illustrations or ornamental borders. However, bordures referred to later on (84).
  • 15o lettres ombrées et armées = (presumably) shaded [clear centre but shaded on one side?] and strengthened/thickened?
no 28 petit romain = bourgeois (type) = approx 9pt
no 31 Egyptiennes = Egyptian = having square slab serifs [Robin can show you an example.]
[on near-duplicate copy] no 59 gaillarde = brevier = approx 8pt
no 59 allongées = extended (down) = thin letters

[page 2]

no 4 gros romain = great primer (type)
gros canon = canon = 48pt [petit canon, by the way = 28pt]
no 16 fleurons de piété = some sort of religious ornamentation (crosses)?
no 17 bas de casse = lower case
no 18 un soufflet = some sort of bellows with bent nozzle (to blow dust off?)
no 20 frisquettes = friskets (of hand press) = a light rectangular frame ... that carries a parchment sheet to protect the nonprinting areas (Collins)
no 21 rouleaux = rollers [naturally – I misread this originally as rondeaux]
no 22 huile de pied de boeuf = neat foot’s oil [Robin’s triumphal and accurate, as it turned out, accurate guess. It sounds nastily gelatinous!]
no 23 pieds de mouche = paragraph marks
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