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"The Legend of Rose Latulipe" 1837
- University of Ottawa Press
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Philippe Aubert de Gaspe, the Younger Translated by Yves Bnmelle THE LEGEND OF ROSE LATULIPE Born in Quebec in 1814, Philippe-Ignace-Francois was the second of Philippe-Joseph Aubert de Gaspe's thirteen children; he was named after his ancestor, the seigneur Philippe-Ignace Aubert de Gaspe, Chevalier of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis. Unlike his illustrious forebear, however, the young Philippe-Ignace-Franc.ois was destined for a brief and somewhat scurrilous life. Raised during the early days of Quebec nationalism, in 1835 he became a journalist and parliamentaryreporter for the Quebec Mercury and Le Canadien. Two years later he founded Le Telegraphe and became an editor of the literary journal Le Fantasque. In 1840, he moved to Halifax to become parliamentary reporter for Nova Scotia's Legislative Assembly; less than a year later, on May 7, 1841—a few months before his father's release from debtor's prison in Quebec—he died, "ruined," according to the Abbe Casgrain, "by the abuse of alcohol." In 1836, upon being accused of false reporting by Dr. Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, a member of the Quebec legislature, de Gaspe demanded a retraction and threatened the politician with physical violence, whereupon he was sent to jail for a month. By way of revenge, de Gaspe poured a fulsome liquid onto the hot stove in the Legislature, causing the building to be evacuated.To escape a second jail term, he hid out at his father's seigneury in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. There he wrote what is now regarded as the first Quebecois novel, L'Influence d'un livre . . . (The Influence of a Book). The novel is a work of fantasy and folklore, a blend of the surreal and the macabre that relates the story of Charles Amand, a native of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli who becomes obsessed by the desire to be an alchemist. Much of the book is taken up by Amand's attempt to secure a THE LEGEND OFROSE LATULIPE 1 "Main-de-Gloire," the severed hand of a hanged man. Equally important to the book are the two contes related by the village story-teller, the story of Rodrigue Bras de Fer, and "The Legend of Rose Latulipe," the tale of avillage maiden who inadvertently danceswith Satan—perhaps the most popular Quebecois folktale ever recorded. De Gaspe's version was almost certainlywritten for the most part by his father, Philippe Aubert de Gaspe, the Elder. Included here in a livelytranslation by Yves Brunelle,it is arguablythe best of the many forms given this traditional conte over the years. "The Legend of Rose Latulipe"is reproduced from French Canadian Prose Masters: The Nineteenth Century (Montreal: Harvest House Ltd., 1978)and was originallypublished under the tide "L'Etranger" in L'Influence d^un livre (QuebecCity: W. Cowan et fils, 1837). 2 PHILIPPE AUBERT DE GASPE,THE YOUNGER [100.25.40.11] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 12:59 GMT) say indiscreet. She had a friend by the name of Gabriel Lepard, whom she loved like the pupil of her eye. However, it is said that when others made advances she played him false. She liked parties, so on a Shrove Tuesday there were some fifty people gathered at Latulipe's. Contrary to her usual practice, Rose spent the whole evening with her fiance; it was natural enough: they were to be married at Easter. It must have been about eleven that evening when, all of a sudden, as a lively dance was going on, a sleigh was heard stopping at the door. Several people ran to the windows to knock the snow off to be able to see the new arrival. "It must be a big shot," someone said; "you see, Jean, the beautiful black horse, how its eyes are blazing! The devil take me! You'd say that it'd jump over the house!" As these comments were made, the gentleman entered the house and asked permission of the master to rest a while. "We'll be honored," Latulipe said. "Please take off your coat; I'll have the horse unharnessed." The stranger absolutely refused, claiming that he would stay only half an hour, being in a hurry. Still, he took off his superb wildcat overcoat; he had on a black velvet suit trimmed all over with braid. He kept his gloves on, and asked permission to keep his cap on, claiming a headache. "The gentleman will take a shot of brandy," Latulipe said, proffering him...