Paul-Louis COURIER (1772-1825). L.A.S., at the headquarters of the army of Naples 3 germinal XIII (24 March 1805), to Pierre-Germain DALAYRAC, owner in Cordes (Tarn) 2 pages and a half in-4, address with postmark French Army in the Kingdom of Naples, disinfection cracks with slight wetness. Spiritual considerations on marriage, and on his stay as an officer in Naples. [It was during his stay in Toulouse as a captain in 1796-1797 that Courier befriended Pierre-Simon-Charles-Marie Mazars d'Alayrac (1774-1855), then a law student. Dalayrac married Louise-Cécile d'Ouvrier de Bruniquel on 9 December 1804]. "I am very sorry, my dear Dalayrac, that your wedding is taking place without me. You will have to renew them when I go to see you, and you would do well to postpone them until then, for my presence is necessary if your marriage is to be a good one. Didn't we swear not to marry without each other? You cannot prevent me if I do not consent, and perhaps I will also be obliged to marry in order to legitimise your children. If the young lady you are marrying had been known to me, you would have named her. I will refrain from any conjecture; but I have no doubt that you have made a good choice, as has your wife. And although I am your eldest, I would gladly take lessons from you to learn how to live in a household. For despite my lack of vocation, I do believe that I will get there. Since our separation, you must have led a fairly quiet life; and it is probably due to a lack of adventures that you have not told me anything about it. My own story since that time would be long and very dull. For this reason I will grace you with it. I have had to complain about grown-ups, women, my friends and myself. I have forgiven everyone and always keeping the same indulgence, I abandon myself to fortune, content that it never puts me too high or too low. My present position is not unpleasant. I am well paid and not very busy. I would like nothing better. The plague is rife in the area. But I am so dry that I defy it to get hold of me. The jealous Italians sometimes stab us, but I am too ugly to give them any trouble. Robbers rob us, but I take just measures to never have any money. All I need to be happy is a friend like you. That is something that is not found twice in life. That is why if I live, if I return to France, if I am ever in control of myself, I hereby vow to spend two months of each year with you and Rissan. Who knows even if I won't be able to fix my wandering penates between you two one day. I wrote this verse without suspecting it, like Mr Jourdain's prose. Farewell [...] Peace be with you. This is the best thing one can wish for people in a household"... He signs: "Courier Chef d'escadron commandant l'artillerie à cheval à l'armée de Naples". Œuvres complètes (Pléiade), p. 685, with a pen-and-ink portrait and an engraved portrait.