Even today I cannot think of the quiet and solitary life in the fields, of our books, of the Chenaie, of the charm spread over all these objects, to which are attached all my desires and all my ideas of happiness here on earth, without feeling an inexpressible tightening of the heart [...] But in the end we must conquer everything by renouncing everything." Although he didn't know yet when he and Carron would return to France, he had to consider an "act of charity", as a young student of his from a poor family, had expressed the desire to accompany him and to convert to Catholicism: "Here's the fact: in the boarding house where I live there is a 13-year-old child, gentle, intelligent, and of honorable condition. He was raised Protestant. This child seems to have become attached to me, and to have the desire to come to France. His parents consent to this, and also consent to his embracing the Catholic religion, [...]. I did not reply; but I spoke about it to Mr Carron, who observed to me, with good reason, that although nothing should be neglected to save a soul, nevertheless this new responsibility would perhaps be very burdensome for us." Ultimately, the young man named Henry Moorman didn't join Lamennais but they stayed in contact and Lamennais was deeply affected by his untimely death in 1819. - A somewhat vague political comment concerns the newly restored king Louis XVIII and, most likely, his political weakness and inability to stop the revanchist white terror of his ultraroyalist base: "The hand of God is upon Europe. [...] One can only pity the King, who is marching with great strides towards his ruin. He is one of the most astonishing and lamentable examples of blindness that has yet frightened the earth."- Provenance: Collection of Daniel Sickles (XV, 6458). - With a small tear from breaking the seal..