Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau
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Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau (9 March 1749 – 2 April 1791) was a French nobleman, Assassin and leader of the French Revolution during its early stages. A gifted orator, he favored a constitutional monarchy built on the model of Great Britain, being a voice of moderation in the National Constituent Assembly.
History
Born to an aristocratic family, Mirabeau grew up near Marseille and was often punished for his indiscrete sexual affairs in the form of imprisonment, which was a common disciplinary tactic among the nobility. He became infamous for writing indecent love letters to Sophie, a married woman whom he seduced and who followed him to exile in Switzerland.
Nevertheless, he was caught and jailed in Vincennes for rape, despite Sophie's clear devotion to him. A skilled orator, Mirabeau argued and won an order that acquitted him of all charges; he subsequently went to Holland, where he met and stayed with a Dutch woman.
Later still, Mirabeau journeyed to England, before returning to France, where he became a member of the Estates General and advanced to the Assembly. He began cultivating connections to the Queen and the court. As a result, suspicions arose that he was secretly working for the royalist cause or at a minimum bribed by the Crown; some of his debst were indeed paid for by the royal court.
Personality and characteristics
Despite his facial disfigurement, Mirabeau managed to charm a lot of women, though his impetuosity would get him in trouble repeatedly. He was capable of violent eruptions, but was otherwise a compelling and influential orator, demonstrating a wealth of knowledge.
Ambitious and vane, Mirabeau was unafraid of attacking powerful figures, genuinely believing in the virtue of his goals. However, he was not above taking money from the Royal Family to help pay off his enormous debts.
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