Les dernières heures du Premier Imprimeur de la Liberté Nationale

First part

Warning: this is a mini fiction featuring Momoro, his thoughts before and during his time on the scaffold. There is therefore a mix of fiction (in the absence of certain information it leaves room for at least a little imagination) and truth. So no need to (too much) point out my historiographical errors. I take all criticism, just know that I have problems with the English translation on long texts so be indulgent (or try to be) :D In any case it's not bad to start at worst we fail and we listen to the criticisms :)

The revolutionary, who would soon have turned forty, knew he had little time left before his execution. He was hurrying to write to his wife, his companion, his friend, his lifelong support, Sophie. At first glance, their marriage seemed unlikely. Antoine François Momoro was only the son of a poor shoemaker and a housemaid, while Sophie was the granddaughter of Pierre-Simon Fournier, one of the most important printers in the country. On her mother's side, she was connected to the Gando family, specialists in typesetting for musical scores.

Her family was so well-connected that Benjamin Franklin himself had purchased printing types from the Fournier family. Nonetheless, the fact that Momoro was a printer and passionately devoted to his craft made the marriage possible. Of course, gossipers claimed the marriage was only due to Sophie's dowry, but in reality, it was a marriage of love, celebrated in the Luxembourg district. Despite her strong character, Sophie remained, in his eyes, the ideal woman of the Revolution: virtuous, worthy of the women waiting for patriotic men to free them from servitude, fulfilling their role with dignity. Sophie had always supported him behind the scenes, and without her, he would not have been able to serve the Revolution and the country as well as he did.

A son was born shortly after their marriage, named Jean Antoine in honor of Sophie's father. He brought them joy, pride, and love. By mutual agreement, they decided not to have any more children.

When Momoro was arrested by the conspirators of the Constituent Assembly in 1791, after the infamous Lafayette ordered the Champ de Mars massacre, he was taken in the dead of night. Looking back, the absurdity of that arrest made him smile. So many members of the National Guard to arrest one man! He was imprisoned for 22 days for an imaginary conspiracy—his only crime, and that of his companions, was to have called for the removal of the tyrant Capet after his blatant act of treason. Sophie had held up well, understanding why her husband was fighting and always supporting him. Upon his return, she awaited him, and despite their modesty, they rekindled their connection. They shared a great love and mutual respect, though it was not openly expressed, at least not by Momoro.

Since the beginning of the Revolution, he had explained to his wife that after the Republic and the Revolution, she and their son were the ones he loved the most. He had been hesitant at first, in 1789, especially when Camille Desmoulins came to him with his pamphlet. Momoro had advised him to hold off. Yet, he became more and more involved in the Revolution. He who once told Desmoulins that, for France's sake, there should be no Republic, now realized how wrong he had been. He was now determined to give everything to the Revolution, to make up for his initial weakness.

Sophie understood him well. She didn't mind living modestly, as long as there was a roof over their heads and food for her husband, herself, and their son. One day, she shared a decision that proved she had also adopted the revolutionary ideals for which he fought: "I have something to tell you," she announced one evening over dinner, "I've decided to renounce superstition."

- You're no longer Catholic? asked the printer, incredulous.

-No, I am no longer Catholic, confirmed the young woman, her tone both lighthearted and resolute. That superstition has only served to infantilize the French people and keep them under the yoke of oppressors. Let's not forget that, not long ago, the Church punished people with death for imaginary blasphemies, while the clergy, far from living an ascetic life, accumulated the people's wealth. The fight you lead with our patriots is just: de-Christianization is necessary. The Revolution must make reason triumph.