\"IhadbeenbroughtintocontactwithhimbyareportwhichoneofmyfriendsandIhaddrawnupontheopinionsofthepeopleoftheSouth,andofwhichhehadaskedtohaveacopy。Inalongconversationwithus,hediscussedthesubjectwiththeimpartialityofamanwhobringsanopenmindtoadebate,andheinvitedustocomeoftentoseehim。Weenjoyedourselvessomuchinhissocietythatwegotintothehabitofgoingtohishousenearlyeveryevening。
\"OnhisarrivalintheSouthanoldcalumnywhichhadformerlypursuedhimagainmadeitsappearance,quiterejuvenatedbyitslongsleep。AwriterwhosenameIhaveforgotten,indescribingtheMassacresoftheSecondofSeptemberandthedeathoftheunfortunatePrincessedeLamballe,hadsaid,\'Somepeoplethoughttheyrecognisedinthemanwhocarriedherheadimpaledonapike,GeneralBruneindisguise,\'andthisaccusation;whichhadbeencaughtupwitheagernessundertheConsulate,stillfollowedhimsorelentlesslyin1815,thathardlyadaypassedwithouthisreceivingananonymousletter,threateninghimwiththesamefatewhichhadovertakentheprincess。Oneeveningwhilewewerewithhimsuchaletterarrived,andhavingreadithepasseditontous。Itwasasfollows:
\"\'Wretch,——Weareacquaintedwithallyourcrimes,forwhichyouwillsoonreceivethechastisementyouwelldeserve。ItwasyouwhoduringtherevolutionbroughtaboutthedeathofthePrincessedeLamballe;itwasyouwhocarriedherheadonapike,butyourheadwillbeimpaledonsomethinglonger。IfyouaresorashastobepresentatthereviewoftheAlliesitisallupwithyou,andyourheadwillbestuckonthesteepleoftheAccoules。Farewell,SCOUNDREL！\'
\"Weadvisedhimtotracethiscalumnytoitssource,andthentotakesignalvengeanceontheauthors。Hepausedaninstanttoreflect,andthenlittheletteratacandle,andlookingatitthoughtfullyasitturnedtoashesinhishand,said,——Vengeance！Yes,perhapsbyseekingthatIcouldsilencetheauthorsoftheseslandersandpreservethepublictranquillitywhichtheyconstantlyimperil。ButIpreferpersuasiontoseverity。Myprincipleis,thatitisbettertobringmen\'sheadsbacktoarightwayofthinkingthantocutthemoff,andtoberegardedasaweakmanratherthanasabloodthirstyone。\'
\"TheessenceofMarshalBrune\'scharacterwascontainedinthesewords。