Here are some more clues to help you work out what the duchess was writing on 16 July 1789, during a significant phase of the early Revolution in the capital. Go to part 1 in the blog below for an introduction to this entry.
Line 1 begins: A Paris…
Line 2: J’[essai] Mde que ce petit papier vous passe…
Line 3: armées. Je ne sai point encore, de vos amis tués…
Line 4: bien, mais je ne sais si nous sommes…
Line 5: mais je sais que tout noble…
Line 6: ecrirai si le seigr…
[Square brackets] indicate a questionable or assumed reading of the manuscript by the Project team.
This should give you more of an idea of the shape of the duchess’ handwriting. Use this as a template for unpicking other sections of the entry. We will provide a full transcription and English translation next week. In the meantime, happy deciphering!
All right, I gave it my best shot:
1 A Paris le 16 juillet 1789
2 J’essai M[de] que ce petit papier vous passe. On juge qu’il y a dans Notre pays la ____ __
3 armée, je ne sai point encore de vos amis tués. Le courage me soutiens quil jespere porte
4 bien, mais je ne sais si nous sommes Anglais, ou _____, Car on porte les tetes dans les ____
5 mais je sais que tout Noble est e_______ a Paris. Demandé pour nous une bonne fin; je vous
6 ecrirai si le Seig[r] m’en procure un jour le moyen.
The format is fascinating – I would love to find out more about why she chose to write letters that she knew she would never send.
This is an impressive effort! You can check it against our team’s transcription (and translation) in part 3 of the ‘decipher the duchess’ series, which is available on the blog now. We will be reflecting on the format itself in due course.