Dramatis Personae:

Family Members mentioned in the letters and of whom there exist family tree details.

Father Ghislain-Francois Van Crombrugghe, born 5th June 1851. Son of Bernard Van Crombrugghe (1726-1783) and Anne Marie Huleu (1727-1800)

Mother Cécile-Josèphe Spitaels (1757-1826), daughter of Jean-Baptiste Spitaels and his first wife, Jacqueline Reyns.

My brother Jean Constant had two brothers called Jean. Of Jean Van Crombrugghe, no information. Jean-Ghislain Van Crombrugghe (1788-1849) had 11 children, of whom Marie (b.1819) became a DMJ, and Columban (b.1825) became a Josephite. Three others becamse Religious of the Sacred Heart, one became a Jesuit, one a Carmelite and one a Religious of Perpetual Adoration.

My brother Francois Francois Van Crombrugghe (1793-1865) married Collette De La Haye, and they also had 11 children. Felicité (1827-1848) became a DMJ. There was another brother Francois, but he died in 1790.

My sister Rosalie Rosalie Jeanne Van Crombrugghe (1791-1843) married Francois Nayebergh.

My sister Cécile No information

My sister Charlotte Charlotte Van Crombrugghe (1794-1865) married Dominique Van Wymelbeke (1794-1864) who was the Director of College Melle. They had 6 children, of whom Clotilde (1823-1878) becamse a DMJ.

Constant had other brothers and sisters whom he does not mention: Sophie, who became a Sister of Charity, Thérèse, Anne Antoinette, Marie Bernardine and Adolphe.

My Uncle and Aunt Huleu Relatives of Constant's grandmother Anne Marie Huleu (1727-1800). My Uncle Huleu was Canon Jean-Francois Huleu (1746-1812), Anne-Marie's brother.

My Aunt De Scheppere

My Aunt the Beguine Presumably a sister of his Aunt Bernardine Van Crombrugghe's (1763-1846) second husband Louis de Scheppere, or possibly their daughter Adelaide.

My cousin Vandenhende A child (either Jean-Bernardin or Marie) of Aunt Bernardine Van Crombrugghe's (1763-1846) first husband, Jean-Francois Vandenhende

My Uncle the Regent Brother of Constant's mother.

Mimie Van Crombrugghe Nickname of Clotilde (DMJ), daughter of Constant's sister Charlotte and Dominique Van Wymelbeke

 

P1
3rd February 1804
To Mr Van Crombrugghe, Brewer etc. in Grammont
Gent, 3rd February 1804.

Dear Parents,

I have received the two white caps from Miss Stevens, and the bottle with the wine for the eyes. I also learned with pleasure that your health was as good as mine. You ask me to send one of my essays, and as I have only done two and haven't any good ones I will ask Mr Wulf to let me write one. I will send it with my brother Jean if he comes, as I would very much like, for the carnival. If he doesn't come, I will send it during the week of the carnival: as for the caps, please bring me two more, my dear mother, because they don't wash them often enough, and besides, people are always very clean here and I would be the only one with a dirty cap.
I am your very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give my compliments to my Aunt Huleu and to my brothers and sisters
hg

P2
13th April 1804
To Mr Van Crombrugghe, Brewer, in Grammont
Gent April 13th 1804

Very dear Parents

I am pleased to let you know that we arrived safely here, and that Mrs Glusener is better than on Wednesday, and that my sister Rosalie whom I had to leave yesterday appeared very happy to me. Everyone here is in good health, and my Uncle Van Crombrugghe is much better. He wants very much, my dear Father, to see you, and I hope that you will not delay in coming. Please send me at the first opportunity the keys of my case which I left on the mantelpiece of my room, as I have an urgent need to open it for my school things.
Your very submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: I ask you to give my compliments to my Aunt Huleu to my brothers Jean and François, and to my sisters.
hg

P3
24th April 1804
To Mr. Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont
Gent April 24th 1804

My very dear Parents,

I learned with pleasure through my dear brother Jean that you are all in good health, as we are all here. I am sending you, my dear Father, the book you told me about, and two books that my brother asked me to send. My uncle Van Crombrugghe is very well; he left eight days ago and he wants to see you as much as I do and I hope than you will not delay any more in coming to Gent.
I have the honour to be
Your very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: My sister Rosalie is very well, my Aunt Scheppers finds her more disobedient than three years ago, but I hope that you will find her much changed.
hg

P4
12th May 1804
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont
Gent May 12th 1804

My very dear Parents,

I hope that you are all in as good health as I am. This letter is to ask you not to take it badly that that I haven't written sooner; the reason is that I have painful eyes which thankfully my Aunt Sheppere looked after for the four days I was with her and they are much better. My Uncle Van Crombrugghe is not very well and he wants to see you, my dear Father. As for Rosalie she is already very changed; she has not been at my aunt's house for the past eight days, she has been at Mrs Glusener's where she has become more cheerful, and she will go there again every Sunday; at my aunt's house she will have better instruction for her shyness. I do not doubt that you will be very happy about it.
I have the honour to be
Your very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS Please give my love to my dear brothers and sisters.
hg

P5
18th May 1804
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont

My very dear Parents,

The Feast of Pentecost that we are going to celebrate gives me the opportunity of expressing my affection, and of offering you my good wishes. The respect, the gratitude and the love that I owe you are so sweet and so dear to my heart, that I will always take pleasure in proving it to you, and your happiness is too precious to me not to be constantly the object of my wishes. I wish you therefore not only a happy Pentecost, but also everything that could contribute to your pleasure. Be persuaded that I will feel the same way for my whole life,
Your very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
Gent May 18th 1804
hg

P6
30th June 1804

To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman of Grammont

Gent June 30th 1804

My dear Parents,

It was with much pleasure that I received the letter in which you told me of the happy state of your health, and the arrival of my Aunt de Scheppere with her little group. I am very happy with the casimir and the snuffbox that you sent me. Please, my very dear Mother, also send me my white jacket that I left at the tailor when I left Grammont. I am happy to learn that my sister Rosalie is going to boarding school in Hunneghem; I hope that she will be as happy there as my cousin De Bakker. Until I have the joy of seeing you here, my very dear Father, I have the honour to be
Your very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give my greetings to Aunt de Scheppere, my cousin Marie and Miss Michielline etc. (whom I am impatient to see again) and to my dear brothers and sisters.
hg

P7
11th October 1805
Mr Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dpt. Escaut
Amiens 11th October 1805

Very dear Father and Mother.

I hope that my brother has arrived safely at home. This letter is to tell you that the school I am in is not as we believed; the curriculum is based mainly on the Latin language and the same plan is followed as in the Collèges. Arithmetic is only a minor subject taught twice a week, and the remainder of the time is used for Latin, History, etc.
As, dear Father, I do not have any inclination for Latin, I would like to have your decision. There is, in the city, another school run by a Clergyman where what is germane to trade is taught. Fr Sellier, one of our masters knows it well. If you want, I could present myself for admission there. I ask you to write me as soon as possible, because the academic year is already well advanced.
Please present my good wishes to all the family.
Your very obedient and respectful son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: As for the fees at the other school they are pretty much the same as here

Sir,
If I might add a word to your son's letter in order to explain the topic of his letter. He is right to tell you that Latin is the basis of the teaching given here, and in receiving him as one of our Pupils, we did not imagine that he was destined to follow another plan of study. The Prospectus you were sent letting you know the nature of our Establishment should surely have made it clear enough that our object is to give an complete education and not only what is germane to trade. Your son has made a good impression and although we have only had him a few days we find him to be of intelligence, good will and docility, so we are led to believe that he would succeed in the study of the Latin language as everything else.
There are pupils older than him who have recently begun to study the elements of this language and who have had success; we have had some of 24 or 26 years old and at that age were still in the fourth form. So if your son has the inclination no time been lost. But he has declared that Latin repels him and that he has no intention of applying himself to it. So, Sir, if you want to follow the path that he proposes to you, of going to another school in Amiens in where he will find help and the kind of studies that he wants to follow, then well and good. However, if you judge it right to make him remain with us it will be sufficient for you to let him know your will. He is disposed to do what you want and it is this submissiveness, joined to other good qualities that he has already shown us, that would make us regret it if he were to leave us. I do not need to make any claims in favour of the Latin Language; you know its usefulness in all kinds of study. I will only tell you that if your son had been with us since the beginning of his education he would know everything that he already knows in the fields of calculus, orthography and geography. Furthermore he would be in a position to appreciate "latinity" which would have given him two inestimable advantages; firstly in having a pure, epistolary style; secondly, he would be ready to learn living languages such as Spanish, Italian and English in only a few months. Without Latin these languages would take him years.
Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my esteem and that I have the honour to be,
Your very humble and very obedient servant
Sellier
hg

P8
28th October 1805
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Escaut
Amiens 28 October 1805

Very dear Father and Mother,

I received your kind letter of the 17th of this month, but it is with great joy that I am replying in a completely opposite sense to what you might expect. Fr Sellier will be kind enough to teach me about trade and epistolary style so that I can remain with him. I am very pleased because the arrangements in this School please me a great deal and we are led by sweetness and affability.
Please, my very dear Parents, accept my sincere wishes for the imminent feast of All Saints, and believe that I will not cease to address my poor prayers to the heavens in order always to be able to call myself,
Your very humble and very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS Give my best wishes to Aunt Huleu and my dear brothers and sisters. I enclose my School bill which has been settled except for "extras" which are 200 francs.
hg

P9
9th November 1805
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept. of Escaut
Amiens 9th November 1805

My very dear Father and Mother,

I hope that you are in good health as well as my dear brothers and sisters.
I am sending you my report for the last month, but since the uncertainty as to whether I would remain here has affected me I hope that you will be more satisfied next month.
My trunk only arrived on the 28th of October: the reason for the delay was the loss of the address; there was no danger of losing it but I was in some difficulty and without clean linen.
I ask you, my very dear Parents, to accept my filial good wishes and to believe me to be,
Your very obedient and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P10
6th December 1805
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut.
Amiens 6th December 1805

Very dear Father and Mother

I enclose my report for the last month, I hope that you will be happy with it.
I am very unhappy not to have received your news, not knowing if some accident has befallen you, or if I am the reason for your silence; understand, my dear Parents, that somet months have passed without my receiving any news, and therefore I have every reason to be worried. A week ago the Misses Langevins came to see me, and were not able to tell me any anything about you. Please tell me why as soon as possible; I would be very happy if you would write to me.
While waiting for your answer I am very sincerely
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give my best wishes to my dear brothers and sisters
hg

P11
18th December 1805

To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut
Boarding School, Amiens, 18th December 1805

Very dear Father and Mother.

It was with great joy that I received your letter of the 16th of this month in which you tell me that you are well; you ask me to let you know if I am happy; you cannot imagine the happiness that I enjoy. We are some 60 to 70 pupils, under the wise tutelage of eight tutors, whose goodness and affability are extreme. Fr Le Blanc, the Headmaster, is like a shared Father; each of us goes to him to open his heart and to ask for advice with the same confidence that one would have with his own Father. To tell you in few words how much this school is different to all he others, you should know that in all the time that I have been here I have never seen a serious punishment given. We rise at six o'clock in the morning and have study until seven thirty. We go to Mass, which is said in the School, after which we eat very high quality bread. At nine o'clock we have class until twelve thirty, then we have lunch where we could not ask for better food. We drink water mixed with wine and we also have beer but it is not worth much. At two fifteen we go to class until five, then we have tea. At five thirty we have study until seven thirty and after a quarter hour of reading we dine. After dinner we have a recreation of one hour during which we chat with the tutors or play; during the other recreations everybody is obliged to play, which makes us all very cheerful and healthy. You can judge for yourselves, but I will repeat that it would be impossible for me to be complimentary enough. I had not believed that it would be possible to find such an opportunity of being formed so well in the spiritual and the temporal domains and it is as you know, dear Father and Mother, a singular stroke of fortune that I have been accepted here. These Fathers have had a consideration for me that they would not have had for any other, because a School known as (and clearly is) one of the finest in France does not lack pupils.
Accept my good wishes and my thanks for all your kindness and believe that I will always strive to show you the greatest gratitude. Please, dear Parents, embrace my dear brothers and sisters for me and ask my brother Jean to write to me from time to time.
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my New Year wishes to my Aunt Huleu. In your letter I also learned of my Aunt Spitaels' illness; I hope that her recovery will continue
hg

P12
1st January 1806
To Mr Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut.
Suburb of Noyon, Amiens, 1st January 1806

Very dear Father and Mother

I received from Mrs Byl the small packet you sent me through her. I was very happy to learn of the good state of all the family and the change for the better in my sister Rosalie; please embrace her for me as well as my other sisters and brothers.
I am sending you my report for the month of October hoping that you will be happy with it. In conclusion I ask you to accept my filial wishes and very sincerely to believe that I am
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give my best wishes of the season to my Aunts Huleu and De Bakker and to all the family,
hg

P13
1st January 1806
To Mr Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut.
Amiens, 1st January 1806

Very dear Father and Mother

It is in haste that I am writing to you on occasion of the New Year to wish you a very prosperous one and to renew my expression of gratitude and filial love. I will not stop addressing my humble prayers to the heavens in order to receive the grace of frequently repeating this expression.
Accept my love and please very sincerely believe me to be
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P14
20th January 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept. Escaut.
Suburb of Noyon, Amiens 20th January 1806

My very dear Father and Mother

I hope than you and my dear brothers and my dear sisters are well. I cannot express to you the gratitude which fills my heart for you as I think of the great care and the tender goodness that you have for me; permit me, however, my very dear Parents, to make a further request of you. Several of my schoolmates play instruments as on Sundays Mass is celebrated with music in the School and one serpent is not sufficient. My Tutors have urged me to ask you to permit me to learn the bass; as I know music the bass-player assures me that in two months I could accompany him. This would not only be useful during the time I am in school, but if one of my dear brothers or my dear sisters were to learn music we could make music together. I am, my very dear Father, much more ready to ask you because you have on occasion given me the choice of learning some instrument. The lessons only come to ten francs per month, and as soon as I am a little advanced I could take only two or three lessons per week as you see fit. While awaiting your answer with impatience, I am most sincerely
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: The Misses Langevin asked me, the last time that I dined with them, to give you their best wishes.
hg

P15
4th February 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut.
Amiens, February 4th 1806

My very dear Father

It was with great joy that I received your letter in which I learned of the happy state of your health, as well as of my dear Mother, my dear brothers and sisters; this news is most pleasant. I ask you to believe that I will not stop addressing my prayer to the heavens in order to get God's grace for the welfare of the Father for whose tender goodness towards me I am more and more grateful.
Enclosed is last month's report, and I hope that you will be happy with it. It is in this hope that I have the honour to call myself truly
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: I ask you to give my good wishes to my very dear Mother, my dear brothers and sisters.
hg

P16
24th February 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Grammont, Escaut
Suburb of Noyon, Amiens, 24th February 1806

My very dear Father and Mother.

I am writing to you through the good offices of Miss Langevin who was kind enough to take it upon herself to tell you, better than I know how to express in writing, the happiness which I enjoy, and the goodness of this School. I was overjoyed to receive the letter that you wrote to me. As for the bass, I did not learn it as others of my companions were asked to learn it. I am quite happy about this, because this is strictly speaking an sideline to the knowledge that you want me to acquire, and for the time that I stay here I will strive to fulfil your wishes in all things. I also learned from your letter the good health which you are enjoying; that is probably the one piece of news which gives me the most pleasure, because what could I wish for more than the protection of the Parents who have been so good to their son who, in truth, has not always given proof of his gratitude. But please believe that I recognise my mistakes; and I won't stop asking from the All-Powerful the grace and the means to show you by my conduct that it is not for nothing that you have sent me to this School. I hope that God will grant me this, because after all the goodness that I have received from Him and especially that he has convinced me that it is from Him in his infinite mercy that we have everything, He will grant me this request. Permit me, my very dear Parents, to tell you again that never will I be able to convince you enough of the happiness that you have given me by sending me to this School. I am learning to know my religion here, and if that is all I learn this would be the greatest good you could have given me; I am sure it is certainly this goal that you had in mind. However, with this knowledge we are supposed to acquire others, less precious probably, but in spite of that necessary for the world.
So that you can judge my progress, I will tell you to what I am learning now with Fr Sellier who is the Tutor of the Rhetoric. I continue to learn mathematics, and soon I will learn rhetoric; I have a second master who teaches me précis. What I do most is to strive after my goals and in that I am following your wishes. I am making much more progress than I would have done in a School like the one in Lille. I do not have to wait for my companions to catch up with me - this could have happened quite often.
Please send me some coloured handkerchiefs, I do not have enough. I end by embracing you and I have the honour of calling myself
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P17
1st March 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut.
Amiens 1st March 1806

My very dear Father and Mother

I am sending you my report for the month of February and I hope that you will be happy with it. As Miss Langevin will tell you better everything that I want to tell you, and will express it better than I can write it, I will limit myself here to asking you to write to me as soon as possible; I embrace you with all my heart, as well as my dear brothers and sisters. I ask you to give my best wishes to all the family, and particularly to my Aunt Huleu. Finally, I want you to know that I enjoy being
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P18
29th April 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dépt. Escaut.
Amiens, 29th April 1806

My very dear Father

I cannot express how glad I was to receive your letter yesterday. I understand that you would have wanted me to let you know directly my thoughts on my vocation. If I didn't do so, please believe, my dear Father, that this was not due to a lack of confidence in you; I know you how much want to procure for us the means to serve the Lord in the state to which he calls us, and thus to assure us an eternal happiness. You know, however, that until the moment of my departure I did not show any inclination for the ecclesiastical state, for fear that this sudden change might appear inconsistent, and might cause you concern. I took the liberty of sharing my thoughts with to my Uncle, the priest, so that he could judge them and inform you if he approved. This is, my very dear Father, why I did not write to you first. If I had written to you at Easter I could not have done otherwise than revealing my thoughts to you, but I had already written to my Uncle some time before and I was waiting every day for his answer. While waiting I saw more and more every day that I had been wrong not to write to you. It is true that in spite of all these reasons I should have offered you my good wishes on occasion of Easter, but, as you know, when one is in error one doesn't know how to extricate one's self and repair the original mistake.
You ask me, my dear Father, if I am persevering in the choice of the ecclesiastical state that I made with God's grace. Yes, my very dear Father, and it seems to me that my vocation gets stronger from day to day. Be persuaded that I did not take this decision lightly; I consulted a lot and prayed a lot, and I clearly believe that it was the Good Lord who inspired me with this intention. Every day I bless Him for having led me to a School where it was so easy to know my vocation. I do not discount all the difficulties that are attached to the holy Ministry in a time like the present: and this is precisely what gave me new courage. When one considers everything that our Lord Jesus Christ wanted to suffer for the love of us nothing should appear difficult to us if one does it for the love of Him. Thus, all things considered, I do not doubt that Divine Providence is calling me to this holy state, and for me to concur with the will of the Lord I only needed your consent; now that I have it I hope that all the other difficulties that I have with the study of the Latin will smooth themselves out with God's grace. But the reason for which I am studying this language cannot be too dearly bought, and therefore I am delighted to be able to do something for my Redeemer.
It is not without pain that I see myself deprived your presence, but if I am separated from you for some time in the flesh we will be very close in the heart of Jesus Christ and in a little time I hope we will be inseparable in the Heavens.
I will finish by assuring you that I never cease to pray to God for the protection of my Parents who take every opportunity to show the love that they have for their son. I ask you to present my respects to my very dear Mother. I would like to write something to her, but it is already late and I have to get my letter to the post office. Please, my very dear Father, embrace also my dear brothers and sisters.
Your very loving son
CG Van Crombrugghe
hg

P19
9th May 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut
Amiens, 9th May 1806

My very dear Father and Mother

The pain that I feel in reading your letter, and the concern which you have for me, would seem very weak if I could describe it to you; however I comfort myself when I think that probably the day that you wrote to me, or the following day, you will have received my answer: because it was April 28th that I received your letter and I answered it on the 29th or the 30th, and as letters sometimes take five days to arrive here I presume that mine won't have been taken less time to arrive in Grammont. Nevertheless, for fear that it might have gone astray I am going to tell you approximately what I wrote. I told my Father that if I had not written to him first it was in order to have my Uncle's approval about my vocation, as I considered him capable of judging; and I was waiting for him to let you know his feelings. You asked me in your letter, very dear Father, if I was persevering in the decision that I had taken; you can be sure that I didn't take this decision lightly, and only decided after having prayed to the Lord a great deal and consulted people who were in a position to guide me. Yes, my dear Parents, I am of the same opinion and I hope that with God's grace I will not change. I am quite aware that the ecclesiastical state is a state of holiness which requires much virtue; but I hope that the Good Lord who inspired this vocation in me will give me what will be necessary to fulfil it. Ah! my very dear Parents, if only I could persuade you of the signal goodness that the Lord has for me; without considering what He did for me before my birth, what has He not done since I came into the world! Firstly it was certainly not by chance that I didn't learn Latin when I was younger; the Good Lord wanted to lead me to a School where I would have every means of knowing Him and of sanctifying myself. It is also not by chance that I remained in this School, that I finally realised the danger which I had escaped in not going to one of these corrupt Schools of which there are so many, and in which, with the mentality that I already had, I would have been certainly lost. What praise should I give Him! After your consent I only want God's holy will to be done in me; if I have known so little of my Benefactor up to now I want nothing more henceforth than to seek to know Him and to serve Him in the best way possible.
I end, very dear Father and Mother, in recommending myself to your prayers, and in assuring you that I will never stop praying to God for your protection.
Your very loving and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: I ask you to embrace my very dear brothers and sisters for me, and to tell my brother Jean that I will write to him at the first opportunity. Please present my good wishes to my Aunt Huleu
hg

P20
25th May 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Amiens 25th May 1806

My very dear Father and Mother

The feast of Pentecost provides me with the opportunity of renewing my sentiments of respect and gratitude. I pray continually to the All Powerful that He will condescend to send you the same inspiration that He sent to the Apostles.
I hope that you will be satisfied with the progress that I am making in Latin. The Fathers have had the goodness to give me a private tutor which will be a very big advantage to me, and with the principles of French that I already possess I will advance very quickly. Besides, we work a lot here, because when one has ten and a half hours a day of study and class, you can be persuaded that time is used well and consequently you can judge the advantages we have here without even taking into consideration the spiritual advantages. If I had to describe to you happiness that you have given your son in sending me here I would never come to an end, and I don't doubt that the best way of showing my gratitude is to thank the Good Lord; it is also this road that I strive to follow. I embrace you, my very dear Parents, with all my heart. I often speak to you in my imagination, so that I often imagine myself to be in Grammont, and I assure you that we are never very distant in the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Your very loving son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my good wishes of the season to all the family, but particularly to my Aunt Huleu to whose prayers I commend myself.
hg

P21
1st June 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Amiens 1st June 1806

Very dear Father and Mother

Enclosed is last month's report; I hope that you will be happy with it because you can be sure that I have done everything possible by my application to live up to the care you have for me. I can hardly express, my very dear Parents, in writing, the gratitude which fills me. Nevertheless, I constantly thank the Lord in as much as my weakness permits. If only I could tell you of the graces that the good Lord gives me; alas I am too little affected by them. For the rest, you can see all the means He has used to attract me to Him.
I embrace you with all my heart as well as my dear brothers and sisters, and am
Your very affectionate and devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give my good wishes to my Aunt Huleu, and to all the family.
hg

P22
30th June 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Amiens, 30th June 1806

Very dear Father and Mother

I was very happy to learn from Mrs Byl about the good state of your health, as well as that of all the family. You want to know, my dear Parents, if I am coming home on holiday or not. I do not simply wish to follow my own will in the matter; it would be infinitely more pleasant if you were to let me know your will which is as an order for me. However, since you ask me to tell you my thoughts, after much reflection and after having consulted my Masters, it seems to me that the journey, this year, would be harmful to my studies. Firstly, at my age I don't have time to lose and I intend to work in the holidays as well as at other times; besides, the Fathers have told me that it is not only holiday time that one loses, but also a lot of the time that follows them, because one forgets many of the things which one has learned, especially when one is only beginning, and then one has much pain in getting back to where one was before. So it is clear that it would do me a lot of harm, but if you want me to come and see you, I will gladly deny these reasons in order to follow your will.
As for my brother François, I have learned that he is feels the same away about Latin as I did; Miss Langevin told me that you were inclined to send him to Alost for some time in order for him to learn a little French. Permit me, my very dear Parents, to tell you that the school in Alost is falling apart, and what is more I know from reliable sources that religion is disregarded; this makes me believe that you won't send him there. The Fathers of this School have given me a prospectus of a Boarding School in Roulers; I don't doubt that you will find that is exactly what it is necessary for François, unless you would prefer to put him with me; that would give me a lot of pleasure.
While waiting for your answer I have the honour to be
Your very obedient and devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give a thousand best wishes on my behalf to my dear brothers and sisters, and to all the family, particularly to my Aunt Huleu. I read in a letter from Mr. Aranel that my Uncle has been obliged to leave Malines because of his health .
hg

P23
16th July 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Amiens, 16th July 1806

My very dear Father and Mother,

I am sending you my report of last month, having forgotten to send it to you with my last letter; I hope, my dear Parents, that you will be happy with it, because I strove to do all my duties as best as I could; as for the study of Latin I don't doubt, my very dear Father, that you will be happy with the progress that I have made there, since I could shortly be as proficient as those in the sixth year. Be sure, very dear Parents, that I will not fail to respond, by my application, to the care that you take of me.
In accordance with your wishes I asked Mr Langevin to pay for this term. Please embrace my dear brothers and sisters; it would be me pleasant to receive their news sometimes! Even their shortest letters would be infinitely pleasant and would be a measure of their affection for me. I would be obliged if my brother Jean were to condescend to write to me briefly giving some details of the state of the restaurant, salt works and the vinegar trade because although my studies don't permit me to take much interest in that, these subjects of my attentions last year have not been entirely erased from my memory. In hoping for your answer to my last letter I am
Your very loving son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P24
31st July 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Amiens, 31st July 1806

Very dear Parents,

I hope that you will have received my last letter. This letter to inform you that the lack of space that we have here has obliged the Fathers to transfer the School to Mondidier. We will leave here between the 3rd and the 6th August and the school year will end in this city. I have been to say adieu to Mr Langevin who asked me to give you his best wishes.
Enclosed is my last month's report: I hope that you will be happy with it as I have done everything possible to respond to your goodness.
I embrace you as well as my dear brothers and sisters and am
Your loving son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please give my best wishes to all the family. You asked me in your last letter if still had pain in my eyes. Thank God I have had none since leaving home. My report has been lost in the move, but Fr Leblanc is happy to confirm that it was perfect in every department.
hg

P25
2nd September 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, the 2nd September 1806

Very dear Father and Mother,

The transfer of our School went well; the place that we now occupy is big, beautiful, comfortable, and situated in a very healthy locality. I should tell you how the exercises went. They lasted two days and attracted a lot of applause: the Sub-Prefect, the mayor and other the dignitaries that were there were very satisfied with the manner in which my schoolmates answered the questions. The Sub-Prefect gave witness to this in a speech that he gave at the opening of the prize distribution two days after. He showed how the study of Latin is useful for all situations; he also indicated how laudable the method that the Fathers follow for the education of their pupils is.
After him Fr Sellier gave a speech in which he has what progress was made in the exercises, and on the utility of religion for the happiness of society; he made the Parents see what difference there was between a child educated in religion and another educated without religion. Next came the distribution of prizes. I am sure that you received a list of prices. It was the Sub-Prefect who distributed crowns and prizes to those who had earned them. The following day we went to the accompaniment of instruments to put the prize-winners' crowns at the foot of the altar of the God of Light and the Author of all good, who had deigned to give us the means of winning prizes.
Please, very dear Father and Mother, give my good wishes to my brother Jean. I would be obliged to him if he would take it upon himself to present my respects to Mr Jacques Verhaeghe, and to tell to him that I regret not being able to speak to him directly, but that I hope to do so next year.
Believing that my sister Rosalie is at home on holiday, I ask you to embrace her for me. I would like to know if she is happy at Mons and if she is making progress. Please tell her that she occupies a large part of my heart, and that I expect her to remember me in her prayers, because it is thus that she will prove that she loves me.
Permit me, very dear Parents, to ask you one other thing. It is to Charlotte and Cecile that I have something to say. I hope that they are always very cheerful, and very well-behaved. Please embrace them for me and say that I am sad not to see them this year, but that it is also a cause of their brother's happiness because the good Lord wills it so. They should pray for me and we will always love each other, and I hope that we will love each other more, and for ever, in Heaven. Ah! dear Parents, I cannot express to you the pain that our separation causes me! But I am comforted to know that it is to accomplish the will of the Lord that I am deprived of a so natural a pleasure to all hearts, that of seeing one's Parents. I embrace you, oh my very dear Father and Mother; give me, I pray, your blessing; my greatest trial is not to be able to show you my gratitude as much as I should.
At the beginning of the next academic year I hope to go up to the fourth class; that means that I will have completed the normal course of three years. I am waiting with impatience for your answer concerning the business of my dear brother François. You will never regret the money that you will pay for the education that he will receive here; money perishes but education remains. If he comes here I could give him a half dozen cravats, two or three white waistcoats, socks, and as many pocket handkerchiefs as are necessary and which I do not need.
Farewell, my very dear Father and Mother. Oh please God this business of François succeeds!
Your very devoted and submissive son
C. Van Crombrugghe
hg

P26
12th September 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier 12 7brth 1806

Very dear Father and Mother

In the hope that you received my last letter, I am writing to you now to find out about the state of your health and to know decision concerning a School for my brother François. I do not doubt that the advantageous offer that Fr Le Blanc made you has made you decide to let him come here with me; I will tell you now what things he will need to have if I have not guessed wrongly. He will need twelve shirts; as for the pocket handkerchiefs I could provide as many as necessary. I could also give him six cravats so that he would only need another six, but I would ask you to give coloured ones. I could give him two or three white waistcoats and as many vests as he would need. He would need twelve pairs of stockings of which some in wool would be useful. Six caps of cotton or (2 illegible words), six serviettes (unless you wanted him to use those which my brother Jean used in Lille), two combs, two bathrobes, three pairs of bed sheets, two blankets, a hat, two pairs of shoes, a silver table setting. I ask you, very dear Father and Mother, to consider quality rather than appearance, here we are more concerned with keeping warm than looking good as we have less heating here than in Flanders. There we are, this seems to me to be all he will need. What happiness for François! and what a pleasure for me if I was not mistaken in my hope! Please, very dear Father, let me know as soon as possible.
In the hope of a speedy answer,
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: To avoid useless expenses I would ask you, very dear Father, to make me a chest eleven inches high, twelve inches wide and four feet long. I ask you to bring him so that he is here for the 28th or the 29th September at the latest, because I know by experience what a setback it would be for him not to get sorted out for the beginning of the school year with the others. I ask you to give my good wishes to all the family.
hg

P27
17th September 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 17th September 1806

Very dear Father,

The joy with which I learned in your letter of the 11th of the month that my dear Mother will be coming to bring François here would seem very weak if I were to express it in a letter. That is why I ask you, my very dear Father, to forgive me if I don't really express it now.
I was very surprised by the news of the death of Mrs Verhaeghe; what a loss for the children!
As for the information that you asked for concerning classes, I can't give you the necessary information, but I will try to make you to understand as best I can through my dear Mother, by letting you know the authors with which we will begin the course.
Please, very dear Father, tell François that I am impatient for his arrival; I would like to be able to write him a brief word but the little time I have left makes this impossible; I ask you therefore, very dear Father, to give him my very best wishes, and to tell him it would oblige me greatly if he were to take it upon himself to present my respects to Aunt Namur and her family, to my cousin Elisabeth and to everyone I know, and to embrace my dear sisters and my brother Jean. He will, I hope, be I very happy here because there are some very fine boys of his age here. If only I could tell you everything face-to-face, but the hope of telling you everything through my dear Mother comforts me.
I would like to take the liberty, my very dear Father, of making another request. I would be afraid to bother you with my requests if I did not know that you have never asked anything more particularly of us than to consult you in everything. It is in this spirit that I dare to send you a list of books that would be very useful to me and that I would like François to bring me. Firstly, a work in two volumes that you bought at a sale from a country curate with my cousin Albert Spitaels, but I have forgotten the title; it is about the duties of a curate. Secondly, Télémaque etc., son of Odysseus, in one volume. Thirdly a work in two volumes in Flemish by our Uncle Huleu. I believe that it concerns the practices of perfection by Alfonze de Rodriguez . Fourth, Cosmographic Journey through America. Fifth, Vlaemsche Chronologie. Sixth, A Treatise on Gaiety (which would be very useful to me). I leave it to your good judgement to add or remove any.
You tell me, very dear Father, that it will be Sunday 28th of the this month that my dear Mother will arrive in Amiens; if it is your wish I could go to meet her in Amiens; for that it would be sufficient for you to tell me your wishes so that I can tell Fr Le Blanc.
I ask you give my every good wish to all the family. I have the honour to be very sincerely
Your very loving and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P28
11th October 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 11th October 1806

Very dear Father

This is the first free moment that I have found to express to you, on occasion of your feast, the concern that I have for your prosperity. It seems to me, very dear Father, that nothing that I could say would convince you so much as if I were to tell you that I pray to St Guislène to ask for graces for you, as much for prosperity in your life as for the salvation of your soul. I know that one of the greatest graces that you can have here below is see your children fulfilling the ambitions you have for them. I will strive, therefore, to provide you with this grace with God's help, in fulfilling better and better my duties as son and as a Christian.
I have just learned by letter from my Uncle Joseph Spitaels that my dear Mother arrived safely home, but at the same time I am sad to learn that he is ill. I have already written to him as he wished; may it please the Good Lord that he recover through the intercession of St Joseph to whom I continually address my humble prayers to this effect.
François is well and very happy here, but the poor child has trouble in making himself understood by his schoolmates, but it won't last long because he has an easy nature and a good memory. As he didn't know that I was writing to you today he didn't have the time to add a letter, but he asked me to give you his best wishes, and to ask you to embrace his dear brother Jean and his dear sisters for him. Please, very dear Father, do the same for me.
I have run out of time, study has begun; I can write no more and I am afraid that in my rush to tell you so much I have actually told you too little; because I fear that you will have difficulty in deciphering my writing, but remember that it is a student's writing.
I have the honour to be very sincerely
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my respects to my Aunt Huleu, to whom I will write the next time that I write to you.
hg

P29
29th October 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 29th October 1806,

Very dear Father and Mother
I am taking advantage of my monthly report to tell you of the joy that I felt on the arrival of Mr J Verhaeghe, it seems to me that he will settle down quickly. The letter that he has for me from my brother is in his trunk which hasn't arrived yet, which means that I cannot yet answer it. Neither have I had the time to write to my Aunt Huleu. Please tell her that I won't forget to do so the first time that I write to you. I was happy to learn that you and the family are well.
I have the honour to be very sincerely
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P30
14th November 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, the 14th November 1806

Very dear Father and Mother,

The recent feast of All Saints provides me with a new opportunity to give you signs of my filial love, and to tell you that the prayer that I have addressed to them, however poor, is to prepare a room for you close to our ancestors, and as near to Jesus our Divine Master as possible.
The joy that I experienced through my sister's letter is beyond all expression. What a good heart Rosalie has! Although it was only with difficulty that I made out the sense of her letter it didn't make any the less impression on my heart, and I could hardly contain my tears on reading it.
A saint has just died here; yes, dear Parents, a saint. It was the man, dear Mother, whom I showed you. He had been bed-ridden for some time, and became so weak that he could not receive the Good Lord anymore except lying down (he received communion every day). For some days we have awaited his last moment. Last Wednesday night they didn't even dare take him Holy Communion; however, towards midnight he asked for a drink, and immediately we could see his strength return, so it was decided that it was necessary to give him Communion. The Sacrament was brought, and this man, who only the previous day had only received Him lying down, and further, only a few moments previously could hardly move his body, at God's entry rose up on his bed, removed his cap and received his Best Friend with wonderfully radiant face. Towards four o'clock in the morning he gave up his soul, but it was with an inexpressible joy on his face. This man never complained in his illness, and we noticed that after his death his body preserved its natural suppleness. One of his last words was these; "Charity, humility, love of the Sacred Heart." Ah! this man was loveable! One must give very favorable testimony to religion when one has known Jean-Baptiste (the name of the one of whom I speak). It would be hard to find anywhere else a man who loved his fellow man as much. He was the nurse of the house, and how great was the goodness with which he relieved, comforted and acted with patients! I will end there because I could never express what my heart feels at the very mention of Jean-Baptiste's name. No- one cried over his death; everybody looks on him as an intercessor close to God.
I regret not being able to write to my Aunt Huleu; this is not for lack of good will. Please, very dear Father and Mother, tell her that I will supplement the letter that I should have written her at All Saints by addressing my prayers, poor though they may be, to the All Powerful for her protection.
Please, very dear Parents, in the first letter that you write to Rosalie, thank her for the love that she has for me; tell her that I didn't find the time to write to her. Maybe I should have written in Flemish, but at present I am not very familiar with written Flemish. If I only I could tell her directly what I feel in my heart. I would tell her - dear sister, benefit from the lessons you learn in the School where you are; time passes and it will not come back anymore, it is now that you need to sow what you will want to reap. A wise girl must always serve God, and where, dear sister, will you learn to serve Him better than in the School where you are? Soon you will be back with your Parents who will help you more with their wise lessons, it is true; but once on your own you will have many trials to bear; fortify yourself, therefore, in virtue while it is the right time and apply yourself so that that soon you can be useful to your dear Parents, because they are waiting for the happy moment when you will be able to render them service.
I end by embracing you with all my heart; François says that he always loves you and his dear sisters; please tell to them that I also love them; and that they should pray for us because we need it.
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P31
24th November 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 24th November 1806

Very dear Father and Mother

Fearing that the length of my last letters might have bored you, I had decided to wait for your news before writing to you. But I would be derilict in my duty if I were not to write to you on the occasion of the imminent New Year. May it, my very dear Parents, be one of increasing happiness for you and for my dear brother and sisters. It is to this end that I address my prayers to Heaven. I hope his year to show you more and more a perfect gratitude for the tender care that you have for me. It is not out of simple custom that I write to you; I am led by my heart. My feelings are behind these expressions, please believe, my very dear Parents, that it is my heart that speaks.
Please be the bearer of my love to my dear brother Jean and my dear sisters. I ask them to accept my good wishes.
Accept, please, my very dear Parents, my tender embrace. I have the honour to be
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P32
28th November 1806
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier 28 9brth 1806

Very dear Father and Mother,

For a long time I have been counting the days, my very dear Mother, before I could show you my filial love; it has at last arrived, this happy day, the feast of St Cécile, of the one who was given to you as Heavenly Protector. I pray her, my very dear Mother, to intercede for you, and to obtain from the All-Powerful for me the happiness of repeating these wishes many times.
Enclosed is my report for the last month; I hope that you will be happy, as I have made every effort, very dear Parents, to live up to the care that you have for take me. I have the honour to be
Your very submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my respects to my Aunt Huleu, and to all the family
hg

P33
2nd January 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 2nd of the year 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

I am going to pester you with all my letters; however I cannot avoid writing you this one as it is to send you my report. What is happening at home, my very dear Parents? It is two months now that I have received no news; I am rather worried and you will agree that this is not without reason. Please write to me as soon as possible in order to alleviate my concerns.
François sends you his good wishes for the season; he is better than when he started here. However, he is always pale but the doctor told me that this is not anything to worry about.
Please present my good wishes to my aunt, to Jean and to Jacques De Namur and to all those I know.
I am for all my life
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P34
27th January 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier 27 January 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

It was with great pleasure that I learned the of happy state of your health, as well as that of all the family. If only I could respond to the tender wishes that you offered me in your last letter! Please believe nevertheless, very dear Parents, that I am some most appreciative. I pray God to repay them, for His greater glory and your own satisfaction.
I received a letter from my Uncle Spitaels (the banker) that made me very pleased. I won't tell you more about it as his goodness is well known to you; besides he surpassed all that I could tell you about him.
I would like to know the present state of my uncle, the Regent . I expected to learn something about it by your last letter, and your silence gives me some concern. I hope I am wrong; I would be happy to learn of his restoration to health after everything that I have heard about him from Mr Verhaeghe. François is very well, and I hope that you will have the satisfaction of seeing by his reports that he is fulfilling his scholastic duties better. He was very grateful for your wishes as well as those of his dear sisters.
Please, very dear Parents, convey my expression of gratitude to my dear sisters Charlotte and Cécile, and tell them that I was overjoyed by what our dear Father told me about them; that they are learning well, and that they hope to make their First Communion at Easter; what happy news for a brother who loves his sisters as I love them! I won't cease to pray for them, and I expect the same from them. I ask you to say as much to my dear brother. I will not say much today about him and will do so more comfortably another time.
Farewell, very dear Parents, I have the honour to be
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
Please present my respects to my dear Aunt Huleu and to all the family. I enclose my report for the last month.
hg

P35
27th February 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 27th February 1807

Very dear Father and Mother,

It is quite a while since I wrote to you; my application my studies, whose progress is not yet as I would wish, is partly the reason but not all. Laziness is part of the reason also. I beg you therefore, dear Parents, to forgive me.
For some time, three times a week during the evening meal, a talk is given by senior pupil; this teaches one to speak in public, and educates children for preaching, the law or for the public declamations of the judiciary. Besides it is easy to judge how much these tests embolden one. There are other little exercises to encourage competition; in every class the children choose from among the cleverest two captains, who in their turn choose other children; and these two teams compete, in translation, in essays, etc. and strive to win the weekly composition prize cross. You can imagine the fervour that goes into these competitions, how much they stir up competition and excite the spirit. It is all done in good order; the teacher decides the victor and this is accepted without retort or grumbling.
The time approaches where my two dear sisters are going for the first time to approach the Holy Table. I am sure that they are preparing themselves for it with ardour. I will be happy to write to them before this time, and will continually pray to the Good Lord that he might condescend to give them the necessary graces to take such a big step and on which perhaps depend their salvation.
I don't doubt that you are more and more happy with François; if he doesn't make brilliant progress it is not very surprising; this child knew hardly a word of French when he came here, and you will admit, dear Parents, that principles of a language, especially the French language, are very difficult.
I am sending you my report for the last month.
Farewell, very dear Parents; I have the honour to be
Your very obedient and devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P36
13th March 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 13th March 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

The term being close to finishing I thought I should tell Fr Michel not to send you the account seeing that it is settled in Amiens; however I don't know if it will be sufficient to send it to Mr Langevin; please let me know before the end of the month.
Although our expenses are not large, for some time our funds have been depleted. I have therefore, in accordance with what you allowed me, asked for a Louis from Fr Michel.
You tell me in your last letter that you were not satisfied with François' report, and that you would like to have some details of this. This is what I can tell you for certain: for some time François has been overtaken by his schoolmates; this can be attributed to the advantage that they have over him from the point of view of the language. Also, his temperament being weak will have influenced his application; whatever the case, I have noticed that he has not been entirely at ease, and I have tried to discover the reason. Finally I discovered what I am now going to tell you: I knew full well, and his teacher also remarked on it to me, that one only wins him over by gentleness. Consequently I took him aside and asked him how things were in class. He told me rather sadly that it was very much more difficult now in class. I noted that this was the reasoning of a discouraged schoolchild! I tried to encourage him and told him: (I knew that he likes the game of "top" a lot): if beginning today you learn your lessons well, on Sunday I will buy you a top; that is what he wanted, and he promised me, and kept his promise and I did the same. It remains to be seen if he continues to apply himself. I would like to think so and I pray the Good Lord to help him and I ask you as very dear Parents to join your prayers to mine. He was very happy with the letter that you wrote to him and he told me that he will do everything possible to satisfy you in the future. As for his character: he is well liked by his masters and his schoolmates; this will prove to you sufficiently that he is not insensible to the good advice of our teachers. Some time ago he had won a lot of walnuts; I told him not to eat them all, that he would become sick; "I won't eat them," he said, "I will sell them and the money will be for the poor."
As for what you told me, that you would want me to send you our two reports in one letter, I will try to get them from my teacher.
I embrace you with all my heart and am forever
Your very devoted and submissive son.
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my respects to my brother Jean. Mr Jacques Verhaeghe asked me to thank Jean and B. Ruyter (?) for the memories that they have of him.

[The following was written in Flemish]

Dear Charlotte and Cécile,

What happiness will be yours in a few weeks when you will receive the One who made the heaven and the earth! It is necessary for you to prepare to receive so a worthy a Guest. Oh! how many new graces you will receive! Please, my dear little sisters, prepare your little hearts; if a great king were to come to lodge at home, what preparations would you not make? The King whom you are going to receive is greater than all kings of the world. The best preparation that you can make is to be obedient your parents, to be charitable towards your neighbour, and to flee any danger of even the smallest sins, and to read some Christian books. Please, my sisters Charlotte and Cécile, pray to God for me and François now that you will have the happiness of receiving Him. Oh! God's goodness is excellent; this food that He gives to such young children as you seems to me capable of moving the most hardened hearts. Prepare yourselves well, my dear sisters, it is the greatest moment of your life.
I am forever
Your loving and submissive brother
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P37
24th March 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 24th March 1807

Very dear Father and Mother
I am sending you my report for this month, taking the same opportunity to satisfy a duty that must be very dear to all Christians; that is to wish you happiness on the feast of Easter that we will soon celebrate. May the Good Lord give us a share in the graces that he pours out on this day in great abundance. The same good wishes I offer for my brother Jean, my dear sisters and Aunt Huleu. I ask her to forgive me for not writing to her, and to understand that I still cannot as I getting ready to appear in the public exercises that are going to take place next week. This small exercise will finish in two days after which the ordinary crosses will be distributed.
I dare to believe that you will be satisfied with François' report because he has effectively worked better this month. If I am not mistaken in my hope, I believe that it would be good to say a word about it in the next letter that you write to me as it will encourage him.
I asked you in my last letter for your wishes concerning the term; please, dear Parents, let me know as soon as possible.
You will probably be pleased if I give you some details about J Verhaeghe. In the beginning he was a little shy, as is often the case when one changes Schools; but at present he is quite happy, he is very happy to be instructed in depth about his religion, he is making a lot of progress in his studies, more so than I would have hoped. He regrets the time that he spent in his previous Schools without learning Latin, and he is beginning to see how much this language is necessary to have what is called a good education. You can judge, dear Parents, according to these few words about the son of Mr Verhaeghe, that he will be the consolation of his Father and all his family one day.
I have the honour to be
Your very submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P38
1st May 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 1st May 1807

Very dear Father and Mother
I have just received your letter of the 24th of April which caused me great joy. For a long time I was very worried not to receive your news, although I had written to you in the hope of an answer. However, very dear Parents, I beg you not to let three whole months go by again without writing to us; I assure you that it causes great worry to François and me.
I see in your letter that Van Crombrugghes are going into the lottery for the militia next week. I pray with all my heart to the Good Lord, that His holy will be done; that is what we must wish for; because this good Father arranges everything to our greater good. I will also commend the matter to prayers of several very devout people.
I learned with great pleasure that my Uncle Huleu has visited you. I would have been very happy to enjoy the company of such an estimable man, but I hope nevertheless that I will have the happiness of seeing him during the holidays. He wrote to me at Easter in a manner that makes his holiness evident.
I pray you, very dear Parents, to tell my dear sisters what my Uncle Huleu said to me in one of his letters. He tells me that after having made a retreat comes the time to execute those resolutions which the Good Lord makes us take in so precious a time; the time will come for them to put into practice the good thoughts that the Good Lord inspired in them at the time of their First Communion.
I am sure that you will judge it right that I should tell you the authors whom we now read in the fourth class. As an ordinary exercise G. Curtius; we explain Virgil and the De Amicitia of Cicero. You will see, dear Father, that we set more store here on translation version than learning by heart.
I am sending you me report for the last month; I hope that you will be satisfied. If not I hope that your opinions will be useful to me.
François is well; he has not seen you for so long.
I have the honour to be
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
When my brother has taken part in the militia lottery, let me know the outcome.
hg

P39
2nd June 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 2nd June 1807

Very dear Father and Mother,

I am writing to you again to send you last month's report; I hope that it will meet your expectations. If not, please write about it to me. I wrote to you this morning by the hand of Mr Turpin who came to place his son here the School, and he said to me that his sister intended making a journey to Flanders. I wrote in my letter, very dear Parents, how astonished I am not to have received any of your news; I really cannot guess the reason. Perhaps you are saying "nihil est mihi, quod scribam" , dear father, but I say "hoc scribe te nihil habere quod scribas." Besides you would still be able to tell me the state of your health, and whatever news could interest me. François is well and is beginning to have a more taste for study. He aims sometimes for the ribbon in his class and has even already won it, which encouraged him. He is very happy that the holidays are coming because he greatly wants to see you; he embraces you as well as our brother and our dear sisters.
Farewell, very dear Parents, please be the bearer of my good wishes to my brother Jean and my sisters, and to my Aunt Huleu. I ask you to remember me in your prayers; I have much need of it, and don't think that it is out of humility that I speak thus; it is, as one says in Flemish, "regt uyt gespròoken" .
Your very submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P40
2nd June 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 2nd June 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

I am taking advantage of Miss Langevin's visit to tell you in a few words, (because I am short of time), how much I am astonished, and François no less, that that we haven't received even any news on your part concerning the business of Jean; however, dear Parents, put yourselves for one moment in our position and I will let you judge for yourselves that it has indeed been too long a time since you wrote to us; perhaps you will tell me, very dear Parents, that it is time that you lack? I accept that, but I believe you will also agree with me that you have at least the time to write to us every month? Please realise that I haven't received more than four letters from you since the last holidays. Please, I pray you, write to us as soon as possible; a few lines, a few words will be sufficient! Perhaps you would also tell me, very dear Parents, that I haven't written to you as often as you told me to. This is because, very dear Parents, of the very little time that I have left after my classes. But that is enough on this matter; you will believe that I was in a bad mood at the moment that I wrote to you. No, not at all, dear Parents, but it is because François' worry is increasing again that makes me speak this way. I have to finish now; I would have many more things to tell you but I only have a half-hour and I have four lessons to learn and I don't know if I will know them.
Farewell, very dear Parents, I recommend myself to your prayers because I have real need of them.
Your very loving and submissive son
C. Van Crombrugghe
François asks me to give you his good wishes as well as to our dear brother and our loveable sisters.
hg

P41
19th June 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
Mondidier, 19th June 1807

Very dear Father

I am replying to the letter that you had the goodness to write to me about my brother. I give thanks to the Good Lord God who has seen the matter well resolved; it is a loss, dear Father, as you say, but a loss that is infinitely less than the loss of a child, because I would call it a loss to see a son leaving the parents that he loves and who know that he is not doing the right thing. Besides this is not extremely expensive; it costs much more here; one of my schoolmates from Tours has a brother whose replacement cost ten thousand livres . I believe that if it is necessary to pay for a replacement it is often not easy. I hope with God's help that you will not have the same problem with me, or at least that it will cost less. But let us leave that for the holidays. I read your letter from beginning to end in the presence of François; he appeared to be touched by your remonstrations. That is obviously the best way of dealing with him, as is proven by the fact that he is applying himself better, his teacher is more satisfied with him and has said that his next report will be a lot better if he perseveres until the end of the month. He now speaks French quite well now but it is by using it that he will learn since as for the principles of the language he doesn't give them much thought. I hope that will also come. He doesn't have as much perception as one could hope for at his age. Generally he has a good character and a noble heart.
I see in my dear mother's letter that you are worried that it is a long time since I wrote to you. I wrote a fortnight ago, and I put back answering your letter to the middle of this month. I read there, and I am very appreciative, that you want to see us both as much as I want to see you. Oh! what joy I feel already when I think that in about two months I will see our dear family again! But it seems to me that I am prolonging the time that remains by thinking too much about it; for it's true that there are no roses without thorns. The memory of what is dearest to me in the world serves only to sadden me; the more I think about it, the longer it seems I have to spend away from you. The Good Lord requires it of me, you also require it, and I submit with pleasure to the such sacred wishes.
I also see in my dear Mother's letter that she is thinking of going to see her daughter; I would be very happy if you would tell me the result of her journey.
Please, very dear Father, tell my dear Mother of my close feelings towards her, my dear brother and my dear sisters to whom I ask you to say that I pray to the Good Lord God for them, so that he might condescend to keep the nuptial dress of their First Communion pure and without spot. Ah! if they knew how precious this dress is how well they would avoid soiling it! Would it not be right that they should do everything they can to respond as much as possible to the love that Good Lord shows them!
I finish, very dear Father, in commending myself to your prayers and to those of my dear sisters. Ah! What are they not able to achieve being so close to such a good Spouse as Jesus Christ! May they ask this dear Spouse for forgiveness for a brother who is indeed ungrateful towards the God who does so much good for him. How happy I would be if I had kept the promise that I made to Him on my First Communion, to be all His! I embrace you with all my heart, as does François.
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: I see on rereading my letter that it is filled with careless errors but please ignore the style and find only my heart.
hg

P42
30th June 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept of the Escaut.
College of Montdidier, 30th June 1807

Very dear Parents.

Here I am writing to you again to send you my report and François'. I hope that you will have the satisfaction of seeing that François has done better than previously in class. If it is the case please say so in a letter to me so that I can speak about it to him. It has been proposed that I should ask you to make him spend here the holidays here, but I dare not do so; besides it is not very feasible since it would be too long a time before he saw you again. If however, dear Parents, you want him to stay (which would not make me very happy) you might, perhaps, do a lot of good for his studies.
For the rest we are well, and we are happy to see that the time approaches when we will see each other all together. Ah! indeed, dear Parents, it is a joy which we will, perhaps, not have often, so it seems to me that this is all the more reason for us both to come home together.
On the feast of St John the Baptist Jean we saw some very moving sights. Firstly, two children of the ages of twelve and fourteen were baptised. How beautiful these ceremonies are! At the same time they are a good moment for those that are already baptised to remember their own covenant with God. Alas, very dear Parents, these are truths about which we have hardly been reminded, and it is important that one knows them. It seems to me, dear parents, that it would be very good to instruct my dear sisters about this.
Then we had some First Communions. Oh! what joy one felt at the sight of this ceremony! When one sees children, who look more like angels than weak mortals, approaching the Holy Table to be fed with God's body. Oh! If you had seen with what joy they went before the altar of the Lord to promise that they would always remain attached to the God who does them so much good. In vain would I tell you how moving it was; I could never give you an adequate idea of it!
I finish therefore, dear Parents, in commending myself to your prayers and assuring you of my tender devotion,
Your very submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please, I ask you, give my good wishes to all the dear family and especially to my Aunt Huleu.
hg

P43
26th July 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
College of Mondidier 26th July 1807.

Very dear Father and Mother,

Yesterday I received the sheet that I was expecting from you. I am very satisfied with the colour; but that is not very surprising since it was chosen by someone who knows what I like better that I know myself. I am very grateful to you for it, my very dear Parents, and I will strive to respond to your kindness by a renewed application to my duties.
With great joy I see approaching, very dear Parents, the time that our long separation will end; only one month and, if it be pleasing to the Good Lord, I will already be on my way. We have already finished most of our prize compositions. The Good Lord knows if I will win or not: all I know is that I should accept His will. If do win, it will be so that I can thank Him for it, if the opposite happens it will be to tame my proud character. In short, whatever happens it will always be by God's will. Please pray, dear Parents, to the Good Lord that I may conform myself to His will.
François is well, and wants to deserve his holiday by his conduct. He has great difficulty in speaking Flemish; in truth I know more than he does, but we will always strive to make ourselves understood.
I will enquire about the coaches to Lille and Valenciennes and will let you know. It is likely that I will take the route to Roie and not to Amiens because I hope to acquire some books there and therefore the price will be more moderate. For the rest, dear Parents, I will tell you what I find out and then you will tell me what you want me to do.
I have the honour to be very sincerely
Your very devoted and submissive son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my respects to all the dear family; to my Aunt Huleu, and embrace my brother and my dear sisters for me until I can do so myself. Farewell.
hg

P44
9th August 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
Mondidier, 9th August 1807

Very dear Father

I received with joy, my very dear Father, the letter that you wrote to me. I will strive, with the help of the Good Lord, to please you more with my character; as for the 9th place that I had in translation, I was most astonished; but Fr Leleu, my professor, soon made me see that it was a misunderstanding: it was in verse that I had this place. You tell me also, very dear Father, of the great grace that God gave you in inspiring in you the charitable thought of buying the Chapel on the Oudenberg. No doubt the Good Lord had His intentions in this business and certainly they were not an illusion; you could say that you have re-established the cult of the Queen of the Heavens, and this tender Mother will not let it go without reward; she will give many graces to your family. I hope it will not be too soon, dear Father, before we can go together to the Chapel to give thanks to the Virgin.
I told you in my last letter that I would enquire about the best route; I believe that the road from Roie to Peronne, Valenciennes etc. as far as Mons will be the best. I will leave here at the beginning of next month. There are still about three weeks to go, but these weeks seem like years to me. However, it seems to me sometimes that we are already united, that I speak to you; but these sort of short, delicious dreams quickly fade and leave me very far from you. But if I come to look at my situation as the result of Providence, if I pay attention to what my God has done for me in that soon I will see again the Parents whom He condescends to favour by His graces, I would quickly say that this God, who does so much for His creature is good; that I have obligations to Him! In short that I am happy although I certainly do not deserve it!
I do not know if it is raining as much at home as it is here today. You will have much difficulty with the ceremony of transfer of the miraculous picture; however the sky brightens occasionally, and sometimes a wind blows and chases away the thick clouds, and this gives me the same pleasure as the olive branch which told Noah, the patriarch, that the earth had been re-discovered.
As for my journey, it seems to me that it is time for me to ask what I am to pay for it with. I am not well provided with money and I have very little. I will wait, therefore, for you to tell me how you will send me some, and how much; you know better than I do how much I need.
I was talking, very dear Father, to one of the Fathers, Fr Le Conte, an old man whom my dear Mother met, about what you were doing to the chapel that you have just bought. This good old man, who especially honours me with his friendship, was so moved, and spoke to me so much about my parents, that certain passages of Holy Scripture, joined to what he said, would do well for your funeral oration.
I assure you of the tender affection of both myself and François; please believe me always to be
Your very obedient son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my respects, and those of François, to all the family, particularly to my Aunt Huleu, and be the messenger of my feelings to my brother Jean, and to my dear sisters; I embrace them cordially whilst looking forward to doing so in person. Farewell, dear Father; there are many crossings-out in my letter, but please understand that my pen, my ink and even my head are not really in a good state to write a careful letter.
hg

P45
20th August 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
Mondidier, 20th August 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

I am writing to you in haste to ask you to answer my last letter, because time is short and I will leave here on the 30th of the month. You know, dear Parents, that it takes five days for me to get your answer. The distribution of prizes will take place on the 25th and tomorrow the competitions begin. I could have left here on the 26th but Fr Le Blanc and Fr Sellier advised me to wait for the Monday after. François is waiting impatiently for the fulfilment of your promise, whose conditions he has satisfied for some time, and I assure you that he has made a lot of effort: every day he has "satisfecits" and often "optimès". For myself, very dear Parents, I wait with no less impatience for you to tell me how I am to pay for the journey: please be aware of how little time there is left and how much this matter of money worries me, I don't doubt, however, that Fr Le Blanc will be kind enough to provide me with whatever is be necessary if you considered it right for me to ask him. His Eminence, the Bishop of Gent, will be in Amiens next Sunday or Monday and it could well be that he will come here for the distribution of prizes. That, I believe, is everything that I have to tell you. I only ask you to forgive me this scrawl, but time does not permit to write better. Please present my respects to all the family, to those that will honour you with their presence during the kermesse, and please tell my dear brother Jean that it would please me if he would buy me, at the fair, one of those bottles for teeth ; he knows well enough what it is; I don't remember the name.
Farewell, very dear Parents, I kiss you and will always be
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
hg

P46
10th September 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
10th September 1807

Very dear Father and Mother.

The sad disaster that has just happened to us obliges me to write to you without knowing in what state my letter will find you; because indeed I don't know, dear Parents, why you didn't write to me. Velim, charissime Pater, si gravis casus acciderit, vel si aegrotas, quod commodo valetudinis (one illegible word) fiat, quam longissime poteris, mihi scribas. Si tu tamen, mater frater et sorores valetis, ego et franciscus valemus . But here is what has happened to us: the Government, believing that our School was harmful to the (state) high schools etc. has just suppressed it, and give orders that the masters are to go back to their own Dioceses as soon as possible. This is to have happened by the 15th of the month. But yesterday we received a letter on behalf of the Emperor, who has allowed our teachers to remain here for a reasonable time so as to be able to return the children to their parents or to seek, jointly with the Bishop and the Sub-Prefect, other Priests to continue the work. His Eminence the Bishop of Gent, greatly desirous of having his junior seminary continued, asks them in the same letter to write for this reason (probably it was the Bishop of Gent who got this favour). However, dear Parents, we do not need to be too concerned: the Good Lord is with us, he knows what we need, and as soon as I have more to tell you, I will write immediately. His Eminence the Bishop is doing everything he can to provide us with Priests in order to continue the education that we receive here. A Vicar General will come to occupy the room of our... For the rest, even if it did not suit me, I would still have the advantage of the advice of the one that you know well , and there will always be time to take another direction. In the meantime I put myself in the hands of our common Father, who does everything to His greater glory, and each day I apply this divine precept: "Sufficient unto the day", that it is not necessary to be worried about tomorrow, and so I enjoy the greatest peace of mind. I can't tell you more right now; the present circumstances permit me the liberty only of lifting a small corner of the curtain that has hidden many things from your eyes; things which have probably worried you a lot after having received the circular letter. I hope that shortly I will be able to give you more extended and more satisfactory information. Farewell; receive my tender respects and believe that I am
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please do not make much of this news, his Majesty the Emperor having just granted a delay to our teachers to avoid the reaction that a too sudden suppression could have caused. Please give my respects to all the dear family, especially to my Aunt Huleu, and recommend this business to the prayers of the devout. You would give me great pleasure if you were to do something in honour of the Holy Virgin of the mountain, in order to beg the Mother of Mercy that God's will might be done. Please do not mention all this in your letter. Already we have with us, Fr Colen(?) (Vicar General), Fr De La Marche etc. If it were possible for you to send me a celestial (one illegible word), you would give me great pleasure, several of my companions want to have one.
hg

P47
11th October 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
Mondidier, 11th October 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

It is, very dear Parents, only seven days since I left you, but these seven days appear to me to have lasted so long that the sweet names of Father and Mother don't seem to exist any more except in my imagination. I will not say any more, my heart softens...
I did not arrive here until Thursday towards eleven o'clock in the morning; it was already late when I arrived in Mons last Monday. The coach to Paris had passed there between four and five in the afternoon and I had to wait until the afternoon of the following day, or to take the coach from Valenciennes on Tuesday at six o'clock in the morning. We decided to leave by this coach in the hope of finding space in Cambrai on the coach from Paris. On my arrival in Cambrai I went to the coach office where I was told that coach would arrive at two o'clock in the morning and that there was no guarantee of a place as one departure had just been cancelled. However, I made a booking, but it was useless as there was no space. I saw myself reduced to taking a stopping coach, and therefore took a "cariolle" to Roi, spent the night there and left on foot for Mondidier where our trunk arrived a little time after us. I cannot tell you, dear Parents, how tired we were; you know what it is like to travel by cart. We are already settled here. I am in the second class and François is for some weeks in the eighth: I am not very put out by this as there is a good teacher - the same one that I had in the fourth class last year. I must tell you about a new innovation which has been introduced to excite competition between classes. There will be a particular assembly of our teachers every month to decide which class has worked best, and a vote will be taken among the pupils of that class to decide who has led the others in application. The two pupils who have worked best will be given medals: one will get a medal that says "labor improbus omnia vincit" on one side, "Mondiderimense collegium excellentia signum" on the other; the other pupil will get a ribbon of honour. Besides this, a banner will distinguish the class and the class will occupy the place of honour on walks. The pupil who is decorated with the medallion has right to excuse some of his companions who would otherwise have punishments. This was instituted today and it is the fourth class of last year that has been judged to have worked best before the holidays; in reward, it is this class that has the medallion, the ribbon and the banner until Christmas. We had a big dinner and we will have one day of holiday of our choice during this month.
I would have many things to tell my dear brother and my dear sisters, but time does not allow it; once again I have failed in my duty. But please, dear Parents, be the messengers of my close feelings for them. My wish for my dear sisters is that they should be always obedient and grow in virtue as in age. Please also tell my brother Jean that I very often think about him, and François, and I embrace him most fondly.
Very dear Parents, please believe me forever
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: François seems to have more application than last year and I do not doubt that he will keep the promises that he made you. Please present my respects to all the dear family, particularly to my Aunt Huleu. As for the accounts I brought back, the mistakes have been recognised, and all is arranged as you wanted it. Farewell, very dear Parents, I recommend myself to your prayers. If it would be possible to send me the remedy that Mr Delmarre used to heal my eyes I would be very pleased, because it seems that I am going to have problems with my eyes.
hg

P48
28th October 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
Montdidier, 28th October 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

The report which I am sending you provides me with the opportunity to ask you if you received my last letter in which I asked you to send me as soon as possible the remedy that Mr Delmarre used, two years ago, to heal my eyes. I have had no reply and this causes me concern; it is not that I absolutely need this remedy, as my eyes are better, but it is, my dear Parents, that I have not heard from you for so long. I would like to know if you are happy about my brother's substitute , and if my Cousin Albert's health is entirely back to normal.
I am very happy in the second class, although I am quite weak, but the Good Lord knows well that I have age on my side and I hope that the Good Father will give me the necessary help to use the time that he has given me to browse through the poets.
I am also taking this opportunity to give you my good wishes for the forthcoming Feast of All Saints. May my feeble prayers obtain that one day we will all be together with them to adore and to love the Good Lord in an eternity of happiness; this is my main wish, the single wish of my heart, because indeed, very dear Parents, everything that one can ask for must relate to this end. I form the same wishes for my dear brother and my dear sisters. They are also the wishes of François; please accept them and believe that he will endeavour, with all his power, to respond by his application to his duties as a Christian and as a pupil to the promises that he made to you.
Please, I pray you, present the same wishes to my Aunts Huleu, De Bakker and all the family. I am forever, with the greatest respect
Your very submissive and devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: I ask you to send me at the first opportunity the works of Ovid that I forgot when I left you.
hg

P49
17th November 1807
Montdidier, 17th November 1807.

Very dear Father and Mother

If you are in pain for a reason that you want to hide from me, since you don't judge it appropriate to write to me, the news that you received concerning our School might well have increased the pain. Although I am uncertain as to whether I am causing good or pain, it seems to me that it is my duty to write you to appease your concerns about us. But I am going to go a short way back in time to put you in the picture about the business that I have already written to you about. The Emperor (probably ill-informed by the enemies of Religion) suppressed all the houses run by the Fathers of the Faith and therefore dependent on a foreign chief (which they are not); you know, very dear Parents, that our masters are not Fathers of the Faith at all . This business was dealt with on the Feast of All Saints in the presence of the whole court, and the Cardinal (one illegible word) whom one believed to have protected these establishments, received the order that as the Head of the French clergy, to tell all these Fathers, presumed to be Fathers of the Faith, that their establishments would be suppressed, and that all those among them who were still in their houses on the 15th of the month would be transported to Guyana. You would be right in feeling that this was a savage blow. Our Fathers received this order with the greatest tranquillity of soul. Fr Le Blanc was in Paris; he came back as quickly as possible to deal with the matter at hand. Indeed, time was short. He withdrew to his room and left here without seeing us and never to see us again. Just like a tender Father, he did not have the strength to make his adieus to his children, the dearest objects to his eyes. The news of the departure of Fr Le Blanc, and his rapid return from Paris without seeing any one of us, made us guess that there was something desperate going on. Fr Sellier left for Amiens and promised to reveal all on his return. In fact, he arrived here a week ago last Saturday. Immediately everybody surrounded him to have his promised news: he made us gather in a room and told us that the government had just given them the order to disband, but that he been to speak to His Eminence the Bishop in order to procure other teachers for us (the Sub-Prefect also wants this with all his heart). At this news everybody broke down in tears, one only heard weeping and sighs; in vain the good Fr Sellier strove to tell to us more to comfort us and was interrupted. However he told us that faith had to overtake nature, and that we had to consider ourselves lucky to be able to endure something for the Good Lord; in short he told us to go to the Chapel to commend ourselves to the Holy Virgin, promising us that in this way we would get the favour of this good Mother. There, with more devotion than ever, we shared our pain with this good Patroness, asking that God's flock should not be dispersed by the ravaging wolf. Two days later we received a letter which allowed our teachers to remain at least for a month, to make the separation less painful, and in the meantime to be replaced by other priests. Indeed, we already have other teachers, and particularly Fr La Marche who is a man of the greatest merit in virtue and in knowledge. What should console you, very dear Parents, is to see that we will be able to continue our studies here. Sadly we no longer have Fr Le Blanc any more and Fr Sellier will soon also leave: now we will see the treasure that we are going to lose! How blind the human mind is; it does not make us treasure anything until it is gone! It is a terrifying thought and one that makes me tremble when I think what will be the torment of damned when they see that it was so easy for them to gain their salvation having Jesus Christ among them on earth that offering them His gifts for their eternal happiness. Here is a copy of the letter that the good Fr Le Blanc wrote to us some days after his departure. I will transcribe it word for word from the original that I have in my hands, and which I will preserve preciously; you will see in it, very dear Parents, his tenderness for his pupils and his complete submission to God's will.

J.M.J. 10th November 1807
You know my love for you all, my very dear children, and you will have all guessed the reason why I did not see you before my departure. Thanks be to God, I am resigned to His holy will; I adore Him, I bless Him and submit to Him without complaint; but I didn't have the strength to make my final adieus to you, and I felt this blow so strongly that I was unable even to see you without feeling the most violent tearing of my heart.
Now, my dear Children, I have the consolation of tell those who will remain at the School that they will have in Mr de la Marche a Father who will fully replace everything that they have lost, and I advise them to give him their trust entirely. I say to all that they should never forget that the earth is only a place of exile, and therefore of misery and pain, but that this exile is only a moment, it is only a dream; in the blink of an eye we will no longer be there. This exile is given to us to prepare us for an eternity of serving God. Let us attach ourselves, therefore, dear children, to God, and to Him alone, especially when we are abandoned by the supports that He has given us but which were not Himself. Remember that you have never been happy, and be sure that you will never be happy, except in serving God. You will have difficulties and obstacles, that is true, but God will give you grace, and will be faithful to all those that do not abandon him.
There is nothing left to me, my very dear children, but to implore you to forgive me all the harm that I have done to you, everything that was an obstacle to God's graces in you: ask God to judge me according to His mercy. In short, do not forget that no one loved you more than me, and that everywhere I go I will carry you in my heart until eternity. Pray therefore for me as I will for you, every day of my life; I embrace you all and stay united with you in Christ our Lord, our only real friend whom no one can remove from us.
(Signed) Fr Le Blanc

He also wrote to me in particular the most edifying letter possible, and in which his humility seems no less than in this one. Ah! who could not admit that one is happy when one serves God? Nothing could happen to Fr Le Blanc that would be more painful to him, even death, as he admitted himself; and however he submits to God's will that he sees in the orders of the Emperor. Nature suffers, but the soul enjoys the greater peace in seeing God's hand that strikes as a Father here below in order to forgive in the other world.
I received the day before yesterday a letter from my dear Uncle Huleu which caused me the greatest joy. Ah! How much we should praise the Good Lord for having given us such an uncle! He does not know anything of what has happened here, and I did not dare to write to him about it, considering the circumstances. Please, very dear Parents, write to him about it, and even if possible send him Fr Le Blanc's letter. I owe him much and I assure you that after you there is no-one who is dearer to me in Our Lord. He takes the greatest interest in my happiness, and wants nothing from me save my advancement in God's will. I will write to him shortly, however, when there is nothing more to fear.
It only remains for me to ask you to write to me as soon as possible, in order for me to understand the reason for your long silence. Do not be afraid, my very dear Parents, to tell me if I am reason for it. I beg you to tell me if I have caused you pain, and, with God's grace, I will repair my mistake. You know the proverb "errare humanum est; errorem agnoscere, angelicum." Please, therefore, satisfy my request as soon as possible.
I pray also my dear brother Jean to think of me, proving that he does so by writing to me from time to time; he must admit that a letter is written easily, and yet it would give me great pleasure. What reason can he have for not doing so?
What I say to my brother Jean I also say to my dear sisters; they would give me a lot of pleasure in telling me that they are applying themselves, but especially that they love the Good Lord, and that they believe the poet who writes: "esteem and respect are just tributes that in the strongest enemies attract virtues".
In short, they should be more grateful for a mistake that someone points out to them than for the compliments that the world pays so much. As Boileau says: "He who seems to applaud you is laughing at you and playing with you;" and again; "love the one who counsels you and not the one who praises you". I finish, very dear Parents, in commending myself to your prayers.
Your devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please pay no attention to the mistakes which have crept up in my letter; you would be right in guessing that I didn't write it all at once, and it is very easy to make mistakes that way. Besides, you know well that it is dictated by my feelings for you, and does not have any other source than my heart. I embrace you cordially, as does François. Receive our respects.
hg

P50
28th November 1807
To Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Businessman in Grammont, Dept of Escaut.
Mondidier, 28th November 1807

Very dear Father and Mother

I received with great joy your letter of the 16th of this month. The family's good state, the recovery of my cousin Albert; all this surprised me pleasantly in my concern that always tends to anticipate the worst. The death of Miss Anne Beyhqu(?) is a new trial for me at a moment when there are many trials to endure. May it please God, dear Parents, that we young people should benefit from these examples, to remain always ready to appear before the judgement of this supreme Judge, where even the just appear trembling. You tell me that my dear Father has been nearly unable to sleep; I hope that the baths will be beneficial, and I believe as you do that it was an overheating of the blood. Only I should say to you that you waited too long: because remember, dear Father, the precept of Ovid: "principiis obsta". The letter which you mention, as well as the remedy from Mr De la Marre, did not arrive here. If it were possible to benefit from the opportunity of Mrs Byl's visit to send me a small box of it I would very grateful, not that my eyes hurt but they are not entirely healed.
We have just learned that all our old teachers will remain, with the exception of the priests; this is a great comfort. Farewell, very dear Parents, I will strive, with God's grace, to satisfy your wishes concerning François. It is true that for some while he has lost some of his good will; I am very pained to see it, because he never comes to me to speak about himself. I believe that it would not be useless for you to write him a little letter. More recently he has been better and he makes me the most beautiful promises.
I finish in commending us to your prayers, whilst embracing you as well as all the family.
Your very devoted son
C Van Crombrugghe
PS: Please present my respects to my Aunts Huleu and De Bakker. I benefit from this opportunity, very dear Mother, to wish you a happy feast: it is true that duty requires that I should have written to you, but you know well that I don't have the time, and besides, you know my feelings towards you. Do not doubt that I asked Saint Cécile for the graces you need. I know, very dear Mother, that this is the best thing I could do for you.
hg

P51
6th January 1808
Mr G Van Crombrugghe, Brewer in Grammont, Dept. Escaut
Montdidier, 6th January 1808
L.J.C.

Very dear Father and Mother

I arrived safely in Montdidier last Monday when I should have arrived on Saturday; in Gent I was delayed one day and in Amiens another. I wanted to tell Mr Langevin that my brother would be worried and other things inspired by the desire that I had to be in School, but it was useless as he didn't want me to leave the same day. During the day I went to see Mr De Sambucy and told him about the good success of my affairs. I told him that I was leaving the following day for Mont