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Peel 7436 : Riel, Louis (1844-1885) [détails]. [Letter] 1869 Dec. 14, Fort Garry [to] Eustache Prudhomme, Montreal. 1869. .

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Transcription

Fort garry [sic] 14 Decembre 1869.

Mons. Eustache Prudhomme.

Tres Cher ami,

Je viens de recevoir ta lettre amicale.
Au milieu de mes nouvelles occupations, malgré
le peu de temps dont je peux disposer
même la nuit, je t’assure que j’ai lu, relu
ce que tu m’as ecrit. Cher ami, Voilà! ici
tout marche! tout marche! J’ai saisi le
moment favorable. Le ciel sans doute
m’offre par là le moyen precieux d’effacer
des années regrettables. Je suis arrivé
plus haut que mes rêves ne m’ont jamais
porté. Mais l’orgueil est banni de
mon cœur. J’ai deja trop senti l’ef-
fet de son poison. Le bien est
l’objective [sic] de mon ambition. Que
me fait la gloire? Je ne la merite pas.

Translation

Fort Garry, 14 December, 1869. Mr. Eustache Prudhomme. Very dear friend, I have just received your friendly letter. In the middle of my new occupations, in spite of the little time I have even at night, I assure you I have read, reread what you wrote me. Dear friend, well. Here everything works! Everything works! I have seized the favourable moment. Beyond any doubt heaven offers me that way, the precious means to erase years of regrets. I have arrived higher than my dreams would have taken me. But pride is banished from my heart. I have already too much felt the effect of its poison. The purpose of my ambition is the common weal. What do I care for glory? I do not deserve it.