"j'ai eu la visite du juge Madre. Tu aurais rigolé, car il a eu droit à tout mon vocabulaire..."

Autograph letter dated and signed by Jacques Mesrine, dated Thursday December 2, 1976, 65 lines in blue ink on one recto-verso page addressed to his love at the time, Jeanne Schneider, thanks to whom the manuscript of Instinct de mort was discreetly smuggled out of prison.
Jacques Mesrine, then incarcerated at Fleury-Mérogis prison, feels unwell and helpless far from his companion and from all human warmth:

"Ce soir je suis très mal foutu... il est 19 heures et je me couche juste après la fin de ta lettre... de rien de grave... juste une grande fatigue (à rien faire)" ["Tonight I feel really awful... it's 7 PM and I'm going to bed just after finishing your letter... nothing serious... just very tired (from doing nothing)"]

As a good father, Jacques Mesrine rejoices in his daughter's happiness: "Je suis heureux que sa veste lui plaise... de plus c'est la mode... son Loïc chéri ne va plus la reconnaître..." ["I'm happy that she likes her jacket... plus it's fashionable... her dear Loïc won't recognize her anymore..."] and shows himself neither surprised nor more than amused that his daughter wants to embrace the Jewish religion:

"Comme cela la puce veut prendre la religion juive... encore une idée à elle... oui je sais elle a fait croire à ses copains qu'elle était juive... car eux l'étaient...si cela l'amuse je la laisse libre... mais ça démontre aussi un dédoublement de personnalité..." ["So the little one wants to take up the Jewish religion... another one of her ideas... yes I know she made her friends believe she was Jewish... because they were... if it amuses her I leave her free... but it also shows a split personality..."]

Public enemy No. 1 evokes with a certain pride his latest confrontation with his judge, a fierce revenge of the insubordinate against the penitentiary universe that crushes men:

"Aujourd'hui j'ai eu la visite du juge Madre. Tu aurais rigolé, car il a eu droit à tout mon vocabulaire... il en perdait la parole (j'ai pris mon pied (sic)) A un moment il me dit "mais c'est quand même moi qui commande... Réponse de ton bibi : "Ici pédé" c'est moi ton patron". Il était vert et les flics se marraient comme des perdus." ["Today I had a visit from Judge Madre. You would have laughed, because he got my full vocabulary... he was speechless (I had a ball) At one point he tells me 'but I'm still the one in charge... Your boy's response: 'Here, faggot, I'm your boss.' He was green and the cops were laughing like crazy."]

and against all submission to any form of power or violence:

"Le pire que l'on puisse faire à un juge, c'est lui enlever toute autorité devant les autres et crois moi il l'a bien compris. Il était venu avec 5 anti-commandos... L'un avait la bombe de gaz à la main... au cas où? Loin d'être impressionné... cela me rend con..." ["The worst thing you can do to a judge is to remove all his authority in front of others and believe me he understood it well. He had come with 5 anti-commandos... One had the gas canister in his hand... just in case? Far from being impressed... it makes me crazy..."]

The eternal rebel ends his letter with a beautiful testimony of tenderness for his beloved:

"Là ma puce je vais prendre mon lit en marche...Ton vieux voyou pose ses lèvres sur le tiennes en une douce caresse d'amour. je t'adore petite fille... car nous sommes réellement le "couple" et plus encore. Bonne nuit chaton." ["There my little one I'm going to take to my bed... Your old rogue places his lips on yours in a sweet caress of love. I adore you little girl... because we are truly the 'couple' and even more. Good night kitten."]

Rare and very fine letter by Jacques Mesrine full of revolt and insubordination.