The Cavaillon Melons and Alexandre Dumas père

In La Dépêche du Midi, Mr Etienne Auvert recounts a very curious and little-known story, which we would be remiss if we did not share with our readers. Here it is:

If you go into the Cavaillon town hall, open the register of the town council's deliberations, and look for the date of the meeting of 13 November 1864, you will find that on that day, under the chairmanship of Mr Tourel, mayor of Cavaillon, and in the presence of Messrs Seguin, Lapierre, Michel, Isoard, Bernardini, Lisbonne, Gros, Derrive, Bon, Robert, Sarnette, Jh. Véran, Méritan, took part in a debate concerning melons and Alexandre Dumas père.

The latter had declared the incomparable melons that are the speciality of the Cavaillon market to be excellent. He fancifully said that he would be very happy if they could be shipped to him.
Certainly, master,’ said a Cavaillonnais, ’all you have to do in exchange is send us a volume with your dedication. We will judge that the deal is still very advantageous for us.

It was to this proposal that Alexandre Dumas replied in the following witty letter:

Dear Sir

As soon as I received your letter, I hastened to make arrangements with my bookseller, Mr Michei Lévy, for him to send you the two or three hundred volumes of my works already published, and that as they appeared he would pass on the others to you, too happy to respond to the great honour you have done me.

But please be good enough to tell Mr Tourel, your kind mayor, that I am making this consignment subject to one condition: if the town and authorities of Cavaillon value my books, I am very fond of their melons, and I would like, in exchange for my three or four hundred volumes, to be granted, by municipal decree, a life annuity of twelve melons a year; the cost of the consignment will, of course, remain my responsibility.
Please accept, sir, and convey to your honourable mayor, the assurance of my most distinguished sentiments.

ALEXANDRE DUMAS.

P.-S. I have learnt that Mr Michel Lévy, when putting the box of books on the railway, forgot to put the postage on it. Please let me know the price paid, so that I can send it to you. The mayor of Cavaillon will give it to the first poor mother he finds on his way.

After deliberation, the whole Town Council agreed, voted to thank Alexandre Dumas père and his publisher, drew up a copy of the resolution and had it approved by the Prefect of Vaucluse on 4 December 1864.
Isn't this old-fashioned gastronomic and literary story, with its tasty melons, refreshing on a day when everyone is getting excited about the elections?