Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau
French writer, orator, and statesman; a prominent figure of the early French Revolution.
Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Count of Mirabeau (9 March 1749 – 2 April 1791), often called simply Mirabeau, was a French writer, speaker, and politician who played a key role in the early French Revolution. Though he came from the nobility, his reputation had been badly damaged by a series of scandals. His skill as an orator, however, helped him rise quickly through the political ranks after he was elected to the Estates-General in 1789, and he became a leader in the newly formed National Assembly. Mirabeau supported a moderate course: a constitutional monarchy along British lines. He was also an important member of the Jacobin Club. He died of pericarditis in 1791 and was hailed as a national hero and a father of the Revolution. He received a grand funeral and was the first person buried in the Panthéon. During the 1792 trial of Louis XVI, it came to light that Mirabeau had secretly taken money from the king, which brought him posthumous disgrace. Two years later, his remains were removed from the Panthéon. Historians remain divided: some see him as a great leader who nearly saved France from the Terror, others as a corrupt demagogue with no real principles, and still others as a traitor paid by the enemy.
- born
- 9 March 1749
- died
- 2 April 1791
- field
- Writer, orator, statesman
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Leadership in the early French Revolution; advocacy of constitutional monarchy; oratory skills
Lore & Background
The family of Riqueti, with possible distant origins in Italy, became wealthy through merchant trading in Marseille. In 1570, Jean Riqueti bought the château and seigniory of Mirabeau, which had belonged to the great Provençal family of Barras. In 1685, Honoré Riqueti obtained the title 'marquis de Mirabeau'. His son, Jean Antoine, grandfather of Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, served with distinction through all the later campaigns of the reign of Louis XIV. At the Battle of Cassano (1705), he suffered a neck wound so severe that he had to wear a silver stock ever after. Because he tended to be blunt and tactless, he never rose above the rank of colonel. On retiring from the service, he married Françoise de Castellane, with whom he had three sons: Victor (marquis de Mirabeau), Jean Antoine (bailli de Mirabeau) and Louis Alexandre (comte de Mirabeau). Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, was the son of Victor.
Reader's Guide
Honoré-Gabriel Mirabeau was born at Le Bignon, near Nemours, the eldest surviving son of the economist Victor de Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau, and his wife Marie-Geneviève de Vassan. He was also the fifth child and second son of the couple. When he was three years old, a virulent attack of smallpox left his face disfigured. This, combined with Mirabeau's resemblance to his maternal ancestors and his fondness for his mother, contributed to his father's dislike of him. At the age of five, his father had him sent to the strict boarding school of Abbé Choquart in Paris by the false name of 'Pierre-Buffière' after an estate possessed by his mother. Destined for the army, at age eighteen, he entered the military school in Paris in the regiment of Berri-Cavaleria at Saints. On leaving school in 1767, he received a commission in a cavalry regiment that his grandfather had commanded years before. Mirabeau's love affairs are well-known, owing to the celebrity of the letters to Marie Thérèse de Monnier, his 'Sophie'. In spite of his disfigurement (or perhaps because of it), he won the heart of the lady to whom his colonel was attached; this led to such scandal that his father obtained a lettre de cachet, and Mirabeau was imprisoned in the Île de Ré. On being released, the young nobleman obtained leave to accompany the French expedition to Corsica as a volunteer. During the Corsican expedition, Mirabeau contracted several more gambling debts and engaged in another scandalous love affair. However, he proved his military genius in the Corsican expedition, and also conducted a thorough study of the island during his stay. The study was most likely factually incorrect, but his desire to learn of a country that had been previously unstudied emphasizes Mirabeau's endless curiosity and inquisitiveness, particularly into the traditions and customs of society. Mirabeau learned the value of hard work in the French army. This aspect of Mirabeau's personality contributed to his popular success in later years, during the Revolution. After his return, he tried to keep on good terms with his father, and in 1772 he married a rich heiress, Marie–Marquerite–Emilie de Covet, daughter of the marquis de Marignane. Emilie, who was 18 years old, was apparently engaged to a much older nobleman, the Comte de Valbelle. Nonetheless, Mirabeau pursued her for several months, expecting that their ma
Did You Know?
- Mirabeau was the first person interred at the Panthéon.
- He died of pericarditis in 1791.
- His remains were removed from the Panthéon two years after his death.
- He was secretly in the pay of King Louis XVI, discovered during the 1792 trial of the king.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau (9 March 1749 – 2 April 1791) was a French writer, orator, statesman and a prominent figure of the early stages of the French Revolution." — Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau "Nous sommes assemblés par la volonté nationale, nous n’en sortirons que par la force." — Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau "We are here by the will of the nation, and we shall not leave except we are driven out by force." — Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau "Franklin est mort...
II est rétourné au sein de la Divinité, le génie qui affranchit l'Amérique et versa sur l'Europe des torrents de lumières!" — Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau
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