Artur+Bishop+Pia

1.
 * __March,5th 1789__**

Dear Diary,

It’s been a long time since I had my last entry in my diary. A lot happened in that time ! The lower clergy is going to join the farmers and those enlightened people are only being suspicious. The whole third estate is starting to rebel against Louis XVI and his government principles and we cannot do anything against it, just watch. This third estate makes up most of our population and when those people become independant and don’t listen to us anymore... they have to do and things like this, the first and second estate will be powerless. Not too long ago everything was fine the farmers, they worked hard and their taxes were paid at the right time. But now the poor farmers want to have liberty and the rich ones want to join the conversations about the politics. Where is this mess going to lead? All the years before the farmers just lived their lives as farmers and didn’t do anything against the people like me with a higher position in the society. I think I did a real good job as a bishop and the population was satisfied with me for most of the time. Actually, I have to say that I have a quite good life. I always have enough food and everything else I need for living, not like the people from the third estate. This is kind of unfair because I live off of their taxes and they pay everything for me but don’t have enough money for their own lives. I don’t know what else to say only that this is how life is, when you were born into a rich family everything is fine... but when you were born into a family of a farmer it is predetermined that your life is going to be hard and unfair. On the one side I hope all this will change and there will be more rights for the third estate. However, on the other side I really enjoy my life. Will write you more information and what is going on here in France soon. ;)

Love, Arthur

2.
 * __July,16th 1789__**

Dear Diary,

tonight I went over **Cardinal Louis Bordeaux** for lunch to discuss the current events which are taking place in France. The Bastille was stormed a couple of days ago and finally the National Assembly did something about the situation. They issued a declaration of rights of man which proclaimed that all male citizens were equal before the law. Louis and I thought that these laws were quite good for us obviously, however it was a little bit unfair to women. Louis XVI was not happy about this and did not like his authority to be compromised. Personally I think he has way too much power. On top of that, the queen Marie Antoinette was living a very rich life and did not care about anybody else. The National Assembly came up with a lot of new laws which also seperate the church and the state. I believe this is a good idea because the two very often conflict. I think this is great because it is a step towards equality for everyone ... In a couple of years it will all have calmed down. Now to the more pleasant part of the afternoon ... **nun Mary du Champagne** was serving us lunch today and I find her presence very endearing because she is always really nice to me. I have already written her a letter and I'm hoping that we can spend some time together in the next days. Tomorrow is another day and I hope it will be a great one. By the way the relation with Mary is not official so I have to keep it as a secret and can only write it in here. Talk to you soon ;)

Love, Arthur

3.
 * __August, 18th 1789__**

Dear Diary ‚ In the last two days I again wrote nun Mary some letters. So yesterday I went to nun Mary’s room and knocked on her door in hope that she is in her room… with a big smile she opened her door and we had a nice breakfast together. Also we talked a lot about the economic problems with the social people from the third estate. After one hour we came to the decision that we have to help those people… So we went to the marketplace and took a look at the situation. Suddenly, we saw Cardinal Louis Bordeaux standing in the line by the guillotine. We had to help him !!! Really quickly, we went there and tried to rescue him and we succeeded.So nun Mary distracted the people around the guillotine, while I put my coat around the Cardinal and lead him away. All together we brought Cardinal Louis Bordeaux to his house so he could rest. What a exciting day !!! Today, I saw nun Mary again. She came to my house and we had another breakfast together. It was a really funny morning, we laughed a lot together and it will be so nice when our love doesn’t have to be a secret anymore … Just before I wanted to go to my bed somebody was knocking on my door really aggressively… when I opened the door a frightened woman stood in front of me. I let her come in and she started crying because some people who did the insurgences kicked and hit her. At first I tried to allay her so she could tell me who she is and how I can help her. After she calmed down slowly, she told me that she is **Elisabeth Mernaud,** a housewife. She told me that she came to me because she felt like she is safe here. She is a very religious woman and thought that I could help her. We talked a while about the many things happening at the moment in France, so Elisabeth felt better and I could bring her back home in a calm way. Many things went through my head. I do not know what to think! We, the clergy and also the nobles are losing money and power and the third estate is getting more and more of this … But why did they harrass the young woman, Elisabeth ? This doesn’t make any sense to me, because she is also from the third estate, so she is the same as they are. Ohh …. I am so confused …. I can understand the whole third estate but I also want to live like I lived before … These are not the only things which frighten me of the future, but also the wars of the other European Powers are to be taken seriously… Now, I really have to go to bed I am so tried from this stressful day… See you! Love, Arthur

4. __**April,2nd 1804**__

Dear Diary, what a mass the last few years have been... Napoleon is now in power and calls himself the Emperor of France. He came up with the Napoleonic Code, which are laws of equality,liberty and religious tolerance. I thinks these laws are great, however I received a letter from the church yesterday in which is written that I should resign as Bishop. I think it is because they found out about the affaire which I had 15 years ago with nun Mary. I don't understand why they are doing this now, since it happened such a long time ago...furthermore this affaire has nothing to do with my abilities as a bishop. I wonder what even happened to nun Mary... I'm going to contact my lawyer **Francois** who will hopefully help me with the situation, because I really want to stay in the church as a Bishop. I will see him tomorrow and we will discuss how to solve this problem. Francois is one of the best lawyers I know so he can do this for me without a doubt. I believe this revolution was a success because it will give more people the same chances and most will be treated equally. On the other hand I think this will create problems for France with other European countries. France will grow as a country, however there will be lots of fights we will have to deal with. Napoleon is a very powerful man who wants to achieve everything possible but I am scared that it will lead to his downfall. I hope everything will work out with my lawyer because I really don't want to lose my job, it means everything to me.I don't have anything else in my life, just the church. If something new comes up I will write again...

Love, Arthur