HUC EVARISTE REGIS: (1813-1860) Abbe Huc. French Catholic priest, Lazarite missionary and traveller, famous for his accounts of Qing-era China, Mongolia and Tibet. A.L.S., E. Huc, two pages, small 4to, Paris, 7^th October 1838, to his father, in French. Huc writes to his father in an evangelic manner, 'Comme je remercie le bon Dieu du tout mon coeur de ce qu'il vous a enfin determine a chercher le bonheur par une voie si sure et si infaillible. Je vous felicite aussi d'avoir donne votre confiance a Mr. Saurimont, c'est un pretre qui je connais a Metz et je sais qu'il jouit a une experience contournee d'une grande piete et beaucoup de savoir. Oh! mon bon et tendre pere, permettez a votre enfant de vous crier: Courage! Oui, courage! et vous saurez bientot, si vous ne l'avez deja, combien il est doux de servir, le bon Dieu sans restriction. je vous ai dit dans mes dernieres lettres que j'avais plus d'une fois verse des larmer en pensant a vous; j'en ai verse encore quand vous m'avez annoncee cette heureuse nouvelle que j'attendais depuis si longtemps, mais quelle difference! avant c'etait la douleur qui me fesait pleurer et maintenant c'est la joie c'est le bonheur!' (Translation: 'How I thank the good God with all my heart for having finally determined you to seek happiness by such a sure and infallible way. I also congratulate you for having given your confidence to Mr. Saurimont, he is a priest whom I knew in Metz and I know that he enjoys a circumvented experience of great piety and a great deal of knowledge. Oh! my good and tender father, allow your child to cry to you: Courage! Yes, courage! and you will soon know, if you haven't already, how sweet it is to serve the good God without restriction. I told you in my last letters that I had more than once shed tears thinking of you; I poured more when you told me this happy news that I had been waiting for so long, but what a difference! Before it was pain that made me cry and now it's joy, its happiness!'), further discussing Theophile and also commenting 'je suis sur le point de prononcer les Saints voeux, c'est a dire de m'attacher pour toujours a la congregation. Je pense, mes bon parents, que vous allez prier raide le bon Dieu pour moi' (Translation: 'I am about to pronounce the Holy Vows, that is to say to attach myself forever to the congregation. I think, my good parents, that you are going to pray to the good Lord for me'). With integral address leaf in Huc's hand (two small areas of paper loss caused by the original breaking of the seal). Some light age wear, VG

In 1837 Huc, aged 24, entered the Congregation of the Mission (better known at the time as 'Lazarites') at their priory in Paris. He took his holy orders as a priest shortly afterwards, as the present letter indicates.