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LETTERSBY NAPOLEON& HIS CONTEMPORARIES

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LIST2016/13

T A B L E O F C ON T E N T S

1.  Louis-AlexandreBerthier.LettersignedtotheFrenchconsulatMalta.‘25Prairial,an6’[i.e.13June1798].

2.  NapoleonI.LettersignedtoLouisNicholasDavout.4August1807.

3.  NapoleonI.LettersignedtoLouisNicholasDavout.‘17aout1808’[but17April1808].

4.  NapoleonI.LettersignedtoLouisNicholasDavout.23August1808.

5.  NapoleonI.LettersignedtoHenriClarke,ducdeFeltre.5December1809.

6.  NapoleonIandLouis-AlexandreBerthier.LettersignedtoNapoleonwithatwo-linereplybyNapoleon.20March1814.

7.  NapoleonI.LetterSignedtoFerdinandIII.10October1814.

8.  NapoleonI.LettersignedtoLouisNicholasDavout.26May1815.

9.  RobertDundas,ViscountMelville.DraftautographlettersignedtoViscountKeithandothers.27June1815.

10. Louis-Philippe,ducd’Orléans.AutographlettertoThomasSeymourBathurst.17January1816.

LETTERSBY NAPOLEON& HIS CONTEMPORARIES

BERNARDQUARITCHLIMITEDAntiquarianBooksellerssince1847

1. BERTHIER, Louis-Alexandre, Prince of Neuchâtel and Wagram. Lettersigned (‘Alex Berthier’) from Berthier to the French consul at Malta [i.e. JeanAndréCaruson],Head-QuartersatMalta,‘25Prairial,an6’[i.e.13June1798].

One page, folio (339 x 225mm), printed letterhead ‘Armée d’Angleterre AQuartier-général[...]État-MajorGénéral’withmanuscriptinsertions,datedatthehead in an early hand ‘13 juin’ and docketed ‘86’; folded for dispatch,minimallight spotting, small tear, minor marginal chipping, small reinforcements onverso,otherwiseverygood. £350

A LETTER FROM BERTHIER, THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF, TO THE FRENCH CONSUL AT MALTA, CONVEYING AN ORDER FROMNAPOLEON,THEDAYAFTERTHEFRENCHHADCONQUEREDMALTA.Inearly1798,Napoleonhadrealisedthattheprojectedinvasionof England he had been charged with planning was unlikely to succeed, so he persuaded the Directory to allow him toundertakeaninvasionofEgyptinstead,withtheintentionofgainingcontrolofBritishinterestsinCentralAsiaandtheMiddleEast.NapoleonembarkedforEgypton19May1798,andon9JunehisforcesrequestedpermissiontousetheGrandHarbouratMalta,whichwasrefused.UsingthispretextandemboldenedbyreportsfromFrenchagentsandrepresentativesontheisland(includingCaruson),whichdescribedweakdefences,theFrenchinvasionforcelandedonMaltaatfourseparatepointsonthenightof9June.GrandMasterFerdinandvonHompeschoftheKnightsofSt.Johnaskedforanarmisticeon11Juneandon12JuneMaltafelltoNapoleon.ThisletterwaswrittenbyBerthierthefollowingday,andconveyedanorder(nolongerpresent)fromNapoleontoCaruson,andrequestedthattheorderwouldbeexecutedimmediatelyandreceiptoftheorderacknowledged(wecannottracethisorderinthepublishedcorrespondence).

BerthierhadbeenappointedChiefofStaffoftheArméed’ItaliebyNapoleonin1796,andfromthattimewasanindispensablecolleague,whowasresponsible forcommunicatingNapoleon’sorders to thearmyandensuring that theywereexecuted.HewaspromotedtoChiefofStaffoftheGrandeArmée,andthecollaborationbetweenthetwomen–onedevisingstrategy,theother managing its effective implementation – led to a series of brilliant successes. This method of collaboration evolvedthroughtheEgyptianCampaign,asFranckFavierexplains:‘[d]ecettecampagne,Berthierfitunrelationfortintéressante,mêmesi elle semble dictée. Son role, nous le verrons, fut celui d’un chef d’état-major sans réels pouvoirs de decisionmais plutôtd’exécution.Ilpartagealequotidien,lemoraldel’armée,maislesoccasionsdesedistingueroudeconcourirausuccèspardesactes personnels furent minces. La campagne d’Egypte est la volonté de Bonaparte qui a pris de la maturité et s’imposeréellementcommelechefincontestédel’expedition’(Berthier.L’ombredeNapoléon(Paris:2015),p.97).

Less than a week after this letter was written, Napoleon and Berthier would depart the island for Egypt and disembark atAlexandriaon1July1798.

2.NAPOLEONI,Emperorof theFrench.Letter signed (‘Napoleon’) toLouisNicholasDavout (‘MonCousin’),St.Cloud,4August1807.

4pp.ononebifolium,4to(226x185mm);inthehandofbarondeMéneval,numbered‘47.’intoprightcorneranddocketed‘AuMaréchalDavout’atbottomof1r,bothininkinanear-contemporaryhand;foldedfordispatch,asmallhistoricalredinkmarkon2v,generallyverygoodandclean;provenance:Louise-Aimée-JulieDavout,princessed’Eckmühl(identifiedastheownerinCorrespondancedeNapoléon1er(Paris:1864),XV,p.470)–sale,‘Empire’,Sotheby’sParis,2December2003,lot272–‘collectionprivée’(cf.Correspondancegénérale(Paris:2010),VII,no.16107). £4750

‘FAITES MOI CONNAÎTRE SI L’ON EST CONTENT À VARSOVIE DE LA CONSTITUTION QUE JE LEUR AI DONNÉE’ – a wide-ranging andimportant letter fromNapoleon toLouis-NicolasDavout (1770-1823), ‘oneof themost,perhaps themost, ableofNapoleon’s

DIPLOMACY,STRATEGY,ANDTHESPOILSOFWAR–NAPOLEONCONSOLIDATESHISGAINSAFTERTILSIT

marshals’(H.Richardson,ADictionaryofNapoleonandhisTimes(London:1920),p.143),whowouldremainloyaltoNapoleonthroughdefeatandtheHundredDays,whenhebecametheministerofwar.

Afterembarkingonamilitarycareerattheageof17,DavouthadadvancedquicklywithinNapoleon’sarmy,anddistinguishedhimselfattheBattleofAboukir.In1800hemarriedLouise-AiméeLeclerc(thesister-in-lawofNapoleon’ssisterPauline),andthus became a kinsman of Napoleon, who addressed him as ‘Mon Cousin’ in their correspondence. Davout was appointedmarshal in 1804, played an instrumental role atAusterlitz,wasmade duc deAuerstädt in 1806 (in acknowledgement of hisachievementofdefeatingtheDukeofBrunswick,andthusdecidingtheoutcomeofthePrussiancampaign),andin1809,uponhissuccessatEckmühl,hewasgrantedthetitleprinced’Eckmühl.DuringthePolishcampaign,NapoleondispatchedDavouttoWarsaw,whenceheledthetroopstovictoryatEylauinJune1807.

Thisletterwascomposedon4August1807,lessthanamonthafterNapoleonhadconcludedtreatiesatTilsitwithRussia(7July1807)andPrussia(9July1807),whichconsolidatedhiscontrolovertheEmpire–apointoftenseenastheapogeeofhisreign.Throughthesetreaties,whichwerenegotiatedandsignedonaraftontheRiverNieman,NapoleonandAlexanderIestablishedan alliance between France and Russia, halved the territory of Prussia, and divided the spoils of war between themselves,allocating some former Prussian territories to Russia, and then creating the Duchy of Warsaw (which would be ruled byNapoleon’sally, theKingofSaxony),andtheKingdomofWestphalia,whichwouldberuledbyNapoleon’syoungerbrother,JérômeBonaparte,fromtheremainder.

ThislettertoDavout,whomNapoleonhadnamedtheGovernorGeneralofWarsaw,openswithadiscussionoftheimpactofthe treaties in termsoffinancialgainandadministration,andhereturns to thesequestions throughout the letter.Napoleonexplainsthat,throughhistreatywiththeKingofSaxony,hehasretainedalloftheclaimsoftheKingofPrussiaovertheDuchyofWarsaw,includinghisrevenuesofca.50or60millionfrancs.Further,theDuchyisestimatedtoyield250,000francs–andprojected, if it is properly managed, to return 300,000 – and Davout is to inform Étienne Vincent-Marniola (1781-1809,Napoleon’sresidentatWarsaw)ofthereservationoftwentymillionfrancsofpropertiesforthePoles.Ofthesetwentymillion,twomillionhavealreadybeenallocatedtoGeneralJanHenrykDombrowskiandGeneralJosefZajonczek(bothmenhadjoinedtheNapoleonic army in 1797 andwere at the head of the Polish army in early 1807).Vincent-Marniola is to receive furtherinformationfromHugues-BernardMaret,ducdeBassanoandNapoleon’ssecretaryofstateatthetime,andtoconsultDavoutontheoverallrevenuefromtheDuchy.

OfparticularinterestisNapoleon’srequest,‘[f]aitesmoiconnaîtresil’onestcontentàvarsoviedelaconstitutionquejeleuraidonnée’,whichreferstotheconstitutionoftheGrandDuchyofWarsawhehadpublishedon22July,shortlybeforethisletterwas written. The constitution was based upon French legislation, with an acknowledgement of Polish political and

social structures and traditions, andwas notable not only for the relatively liberal ideas that it introduced, but also for theextentthatpowerwasinvestedintheruler,theKingofSaxony.

Napoleonalsodiscussesmilitarymatters,asking,‘[f]aitesmoiconnaîtrecequ’ilyadenouveauducôtéduNiemen,etsil’arméerusseestdissoute’(underthetermsofthetreaties,theRussianarmywastobedisbanded)and–demonstratinghowextensivehis interest inallaspectsof themilitary infrastructurewas– ‘[f]aitesmoiconnaîtreaussi lasituationdevoshôpitaux’.Manyhospitalshadbeenestablishedearlierintheyear,particularlysincetheheavycasualtiesofthebattleofEylauhadplacedgreatstrainupontheexistinghospitals:‘[s]ogreatwerethepreparationsmadethatthough,onthe30thJune,1807,therewere27,376men in hospital, it was calculated that there was still available accommodation for nearly 30,000 men’ (F. Loraine Petre,Napoleon'sCampaigninPoland1806-1807(London:2001),p.26).RegardingthedispositionofDavout’stroopsthroughoutthearea, Napoleon supposes that he will have stationed divisions at Toruń, Włocławek, Płock, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw, RawaMazowiecka, Pułtusk, Ostrołęka, Kalisz and Posnań, and judges that, ‘[a]insi distribuées, il me semble impossible que lestroupesnesoientpasagréablementplacées’.Withregardtohisothermarshals,NapoleonstatesthatOudinotshouldremainatGdanskwithallofhisreservesandthatSoultwillonlywithdrawasfarastheVistula.

TheEmperorthenturnstoquestionsoffortificationsandurgesDavouttocompletethebridgeheadatPrague,theworksthathadbeeninitiatedatSerock,andthedefencesinprogressatToruń.Thisisfollowedbythoughtsontroopmovements,arequestforconfirmationthat the5thand6thcorpshavereturnedtoSilesia,andtheproposal thata forceof6,000 infantryand 1,500cavalry should assembled, which is always ready to go to the aid of Poland if necessary; ‘[l]es Generaux Doubrowsky &ZayonchickdoiventresterauservicedelaPologne’.

This letter was written by Claude-François, baron de Méneval, Napoleon’s private secretary from 1802-1813 – a position ofprivilege,whichrequiredgreatdiscretion.Méneval,whoaccompaniedNapoleononhisjourneysandcampaignsthroughouthisperiodofemployment,managedthelargevolumeoflettersNapoleondictated,oftenathighspeed,byfirsttakingdictationinshorthandandthenprovidinglonghandtranscriptions,whichwerecheckedandsignedbyNapoleonfordispatch.This letterappears to have been dictatedwith great urgency, rather than composed in calm circumstances: its themes are distributedacrosstheletter,withfurtherthoughtsonsubjectsseeminglyconcludedinthefirstportionaddedlaterinthetext.

The lines andmarkings added to themanuscript in a different campaignmay beDavout’s own readingmarks, intended tofacilitate his navigation of the text and to identify the passages that required him to act further. The letter was signed byNapoleon,unusuallywithhisfullname,and,afterDavout’sdeath,itpassedtohiswidow,Aimée,princessed’Eckmühl.

3.NAPOLEONI.Lettersigned(‘Np’)toLouisNicholasDavout(‘MonCousin’),Bayonne,‘17aout1808’[but17April1808].

2pp.ononel.[vwithonelineandsignatureonly],4to(226x184mm);inthehandofbarondeMéneval,datedatthehead17August 1808, corrected to 17 April 1808 after the final sentence in a different hand, numbered ‘61.’ in top right corner anddocketed ‘AuMaréchalDavout’atbottomofr,bothininkinanear-contemporaryhand;foldedtwicefordispatch,generallyverycrispandclean;provenance:Louise-Aimée-JulieDavout,princessed’Eckmühl(identifiedastheownerinCorrespondancedeNapoléon 1er (Paris: 1865),XVII,p. 20)– sale, ‘Empire’, Sotheby’sParis, 2December2003, lot 284– ‘collectionprivée’ (cf.Correspondancegénérale(Paris:2011),VIII,no.17633). £4250

‘LESPOLONAISSONTLÉGERS,ACTIFS...LESPOLONAISSONT,AUFOND,ATTACHÉSÀLAFRANCE’ANUNUSUALLYLYRICALLETTERFROMNAPOLEONONTHEPOLESANDPOLAND

‘LESPOLONAISSONTLÉGERS,ACTIFS.LESGRANDESVILLESENGÉNÉRALONTCECHARACTÈRE,VARSOVIEPLUSQUETOUTEAUTRE;ELLESSONTCOMMELASURFACEDELAMERQUIN’ESTJAMAISLAMEMEDEUXJOURSDESUITE.MAISLESPOLONAISSONTAUFONDATTACHESALA FRANCE.’A remarkable and unusually lyrical letterwritten inApril 1808, discussing the Poles and theDuchy ofWarsaw,whichhadbeeninstitutedinJuly1807andwasseenbymanyPolesasthekernelofafuturePolishstate,whichwouldrestorethe losses of territory and population caused by successive invasions and consequent partitions. With a patriotic andenthusiastic response to Napoleon’s arrival, many Polish men enlisted voluntarily for the Napoleonic army, hoping thatNapoleonwouldenlargetheDuchytoreturnPolandto itshistoricalboundariesandinfluence.Thus,PolishtroopsservedinmanyNapoleoniccampaigns(includingthePeninsularWar,whichwouldstartatthebeginningofJuly,lessthanthreemonthsafterthisletterwascomposed),butneversawtheexpectedbenefitsoncetheyreturnedtoPoland(indeed,aPolishstatewasonlyformallyconstitutedagainacenturyorsoafterNapoleon’sdeath).

Napoleoncomments thathefinds thePolishpeople ‘légers,actifs’,noting that theirmajorcities–Warsawaboveall– sharethosecharacteristics,andareasconstantlychangeableasthesurfaceofthesea.Nonetheless,hejudgesthat,atheart,thePolesareattachedtoFrance.Hethenexplainsthat,intakingthePolishintohisservice,hewasactingintheirbestinterest–hedoesnotrequirefurthersoldiers,sinceanynumberherequiresisavailableinFrance;hehadevenstipulatedinthe‘capitulation’thatPolishtroopsshouldnotbesenttoserviceatseaorinthecolonies.ThelettercloseswiththerequestthatDavoutcontactbarondeBourgoing,tourgehimtoarrangethedepartureoftroops;heisnottosendanycompaniesoffewerthan140men:‘Cen’estpasunenuéed’officiersquejeveux,maisdescorpsdontjepuissemeserver’.

Napoleon had arrived at Bayonne in the French Basque country on 14 April, less than amonth after Charles IV’s enforcedabdicationinfavourofhissonFerdinand.FerdinandhadarrangedameetingwithNapoleoninthecityafewdaysbeforethisletterwaswritten,and thedifficulties inSpain, the threatofa revolt, andNapoleon’s refusal to recogniseFerdinandaskingforeshadowed later developments, including the PeninsularWar – Ferdinand only remained in power until May, when heabdicated and the Spanish royal familywas forced into exile to France. This letter,whichdiscusses thePolish army and itsmeritsforfuturecampaigns,wasmostprobablywrittenwiththeanticipatedmilitaryconflictinmind.

TheletterwaswrittenbyClaude-François,barondeMéneval,whowasNapoleon’sprivatesecretaryfrom1802-1813,and,afterDavout’sdeath,itpassedtohiswidow,Aimée,princessed’Eckmühl.

4.NAPOLEONI.Lettersigned(‘Napoleon’)toLouisNicholasDavout(‘MonCousin’),St.Cloud,23August1808.

4pp.ononebifolium,4to(225x183mm);inthehandofbarondeMéneval,numbered‘62.’intoprightcorneranddocketed‘AuMaréchalDavout’atbottomof1r,bothininkinanear-contemporaryhand;foldedtwicefordispatch,acoupleofhistoricalinksmudges on outer pp., signature slightly smudged, generally very good and clean; provenance: Louise-Aimée-Julie Davout,princessed’Eckmühl(identifiedastheownerinCorrespondancedeNapoléon1er(Paris:1865),XVII,pp.539-40)–sale,‘Empire’,Sotheby’sParis,2December2003,lot287–‘collectionprivée’(cf.Correspondancegénérale(Paris:2011),VIII,no.18746).

£12,500

NAPOLEONPLANSTHESUBJUGATIONOFSPAIN,FOLLOWINGAHUMILIATINGDEFEAT:‘DUPONTADESHONORÉNOSARMES;ILAMONTRÉAUTANTD’INEPTIEQUEDEPUSILLANIMITÉ’

‘LESANGLAISAYANTDÉBARQUÉDESFORCESASSEZCONSIDÉRABLESENESPAGNE,J’AIRAPPELÉLE1ERETLE6ECORPSETTROISDIVISIONSDEDRAGONSDELAGRANDEARMÉEPOURFINIRCETHIVERDESOUMETTRECEPAYS.’InthisimportantletterNapoleonplansadecisiveinterventioninthePeninsularWar,whichhadbrokenoutearlierintheyear.TheearlymonthsofthePeninsularWarhadbeendisastrousfortheFrench:on19July,DupontcapitulatedatBailén,surrenderinghisarmyofsome18,000men–aboutathirdoftheFrenchforcesinSpain–totheArmyofAndalucia,andon21August(twodaysbeforethisletterwaswritten),SirArthurWellesley’s Allied forces had defeated Junot at Vimeiro, and taken his army captive. These two defeats not only severelydiminished theFrench forces, but alsodemonstrated that the conquerorofEuropewasnot invincible and thus contributedgreatly to Alliedmorale. Napoleon understood the importance of victory in the Peninsula and, in this letter, he plans thesubjugationofSpain,whileensuringthathiscentralEuropeanconquestsarenotvulnerabletothedepredationsofabelligerentAustria,whichwasre-arming.

Napoleon commences by informingDavout that hehas recalled the 1st and6th corps and threedivisions of dragoons of theGrande Armée, in order t0 form a force which would completely conquer Spain in the coming winter. He then roundlycondemns Dupont’s incompetence and cowardice, and promises retribution against the Allies with the words, ‘Dupont adeshonorénosarmes;ilamontréautantd’ineptiequedepusillanimité.Quandvousapprendrescelaunjour,lescheveuxvousdresserontsurlatête.J’enferaibonnejustice,&s’ilsonttachénotrehabit,ilfaudraqu’ilslelavent’.(ThesesentencesareusedbyMaxGallo in the thirdvolumeofhisNapoléon (Paris: 1997),when theyare spokenbyNapoleon toDavout inafictitiousmeetingsetearlierinAugust1808.)

Demonstratingacomprehensiveknowledgeoftheforcesathiscommand,NapoleonthenexplainshowhewillprovideDavoutwithasizeablearmynumberingsome100,000troops,despitetheforthcomingcampaigninSpain,tofendoffpossibleAustrianattacks.DavouthasbeengivencommandofPolandandSilesia,and‘vousyavezle3ecorps,ladivisionOudinot,unedivisiondedragonsetladivisiondecuirassiersquiestàBaireuth.Unrégimentdemarchede3,000hommes,formédedétachementsdevosquinzecorps,vapartirpourvousrejoindre;unautrerégimentdemarchefortde4,000h[omm]eségalementtirédesdepotsdevoscorpsvasemettreenmouvementpourportervotrecorpsd’arméeà39,000hommesd’infanterie,etladivisiondug[énér]alOudinotà 11,000hommes,cequivousformerauneffectifde50,000hommes;&20,000PolonaisouSaxons,quipourraientyêtre joints, vous feraient un effectif de 70,000 hommes d’infanterie.Des détachements de cavalerie partent également pourrenforcertousvoscorps,demanièreàcequevousayez13,000chevaux,cequiavec4ou5,000SaxonsouPolonais,vousferait18,000chevaux,etavec12,000hommesd’artilleriefrancaisetétrangers,vousauriezàvousseulunearméedeprèsde100,000h[omm]es’.

Commenting that ‘[l]esSaxonset lesPolonaisvalentbien lesAutrichiens’,Napoleonadds thatmarshalMortier’s5th corps is

makingitswaytoBayreuth;whilehewoulddearlywishtobringitbacktoFrance,heisstillundecidedonthematter,anditwillbeatDavout’sdisposal,shouldunforeseeneventsarise.

NapoleonthenconsiderstheproblemoftheAustrianpreparationsforwar,andthepossiblethreattotheFrenchEmpirefromtheirarmy:‘[l]’Autrichearme,maisellearmeparpeur.Nosrelationssontaumieuxaveccettepuissance;maisenfinellearme,etj’aicommencéparluidemanderdesexplicationsassezvives’.Hefurtherassertsthat,duetohisconfidenceinthealliancethatFranceformedwithRussiaatTilsit,hedoesnotfearanyattacksfromAustria;nonetheless,hewouldratherbepreparedfortheworst: ‘il faut se tenirenrègleetavoir lesyeuxouverts’. Inaccordancewith the termsagreedatTilsit,French forceswillbewithdrawn fromPrussia and then be redeployed. The letter concludeswith reassurances and advice toDavout: ‘[t]outes lestroupes de la Confédération sont sous les armes, et aumoindre signal de préparatifsmenaçants que ferait l’Autriche, ellesseraientenmarche.Soyezrassurantdansvotrelangage;carjeneveuxriendel’Autriche’.

On24August,thedayafterthisletterwaswritten,FerdinandVIIwasagainproclaimedkinginMadrid,andtheconflictinthePeninsulacontinuedtogoagainsttheFrench,leadingthemtowithdrawfromPortugalon30October1808.Shortlyafterwards,on8November 1808,NapoleonenteredSpainwith an armyof 200,000men,with the intentionof achieving the conclusivevictorywhichheanticipated inthis letter,but,despitesomeearlyvictories, thePeninsularWar–whichwouldbeknownas‘l'ulcèreespagnol’–becameapersistentandproblematicdrainonFrance’smilitaryresourcesoverthefollowingsixyears.

AsNapoleonfeared,Austria,sensingFrance’sweakness,declaredwarinthefollowingApril,thusinitiatingtheWaroftheFifthCoalition(theeponymouscoalitionwasformedoftheAustriansandtheBritish).Despitesomeinitialsuccesses,theAustriansweredefeatedbyNapoleonandandtheconflictwouldendwiththeFrenchvictoryoftheFrenchatWagram(5-6July1809).TheformaltermsofthepeaceandanAustrian-FrenchalliancewereestablishedbytheTreatyofSchönbrunn(14October1809),whichallocatedalargeamountofAustria’sterritorytoFranceanditsallies,andobligedAustriatopayanindemnity,reduceitsarmy,andseverdiplomaticandcommercialtieswithBritain.ThealliancebetweenAustriaandFrancewasfurtherstrengthenedthefollowingyear,whenMarie-Louise,theeldestdaughterofFrancisIofAustria,marriedNapoleoninParison1-2April1810.

ThisletterwaswrittenbyClaude-François,barondeMéneval,whowasNapoleon’sprivatesecretaryfrom1802-1813,and,afterDavout’sdeath,itpassedtohiswidow,Aimée,princessed’Eckmühl.

5.NAPOLEONI.Lettersigned(‘Napol’)togénéralHenriClarke,ducdeFeltre(‘MonsieurleGénéralClarke’),Paris,5December1809.

AVERYDETAILEDANDIMPORTANTLETTERFROMNAPOLEONTOGENERALCLARKE,THEMINISTEROFWAR,CREATINGAFORCEFROMTHE‘YOUNGGUARD’AND‘OLDGUARD’TOSTRENGTHENTHEFRENCHARMYINSPAIN

3pp.onabifolium,4to(227x183mm);inthehandofbarondeMéneval,withanannotationinanothercontemporaryhandatthefootconfirmingreceiptoftheletterandthecommunicationofitscontents,andoneautographcorrectionbyNapoleononthe first page;written onwatermarked paper, all edges gilt; folded once for dispatch, very light creasing of bottom corner;provenance:[?sale,Sotheby'sLondon,10May1984,lot358(partofalotcomprising27lettersfromNapoleontoClarke,9April-5December 1809)] – [?sale,Christie’s London, 16December 1991, lot 311 (part of a lot comprising 28 letters fromNapoleon toClarke,9April-5December1809)]–sale,Piasa,Paris,3December2002,lot175(cf.Correspondancegénérale(Paris:2013),IX,no.22557). £4750

‘LAGARDEIMPÉRIALEDOITRECEVOIRL’ORDREDESETENIRPRÊTEÀENTRERENCAMPAGNEPOURLACAMPAGNED’ESPAGNE.’Adetailedandimportantletter,inwhichNapoleondirectsClarke,hisministerofwar,toassembleaforcecomprisedofthreedivisionsofthe elite imperial guard, which will be sent to Spain to reinforce the French army in Spain, stating that ‘[c]e corps seracommandé par le Duc d’Istrie [i.e. maréchal Bessières, who had been created duc d’Istrie in May 1809] sous mes ordresimmédiats’.

TheTreatyofSchönbrunn(14October1809),concludedtheshort-livedWaroftheFifthCoalitionandthusenabledNapoleonto return to thepressingproblemof thePeninsularWarand redeploymenandmatérielpreviouslyengaged in theAustriancampaigntoSpain.ThisletterprovidesafascinatingandinformativeinsightintoNapoleon’sstrengthsasamilitarycommanderandstrategist,withacomprehensiveandmeticulousknowledgeoftheforcesunderhiscommand,andhowheassembledforcesforspecificpurposes,equippingthemnotonlywiththeweaponrythattheyrequiredfortheircampaign,butalsothenecessarylogistical support, includingbakersandambulances.Equally interesting ishisdesirenot tofieldbattle-weary soldiersunlessnecessaryandtherequestthatClarkechooses‘leshommeslesmoinsfatigués’aboveothers.

ThecorpswhichNapoleonassembledthroughtheordersinthisletterwasdividedintothreedivisions,thefirsttwodrawnfromtheYoungGuard,andunderthecommandofthegénérauxdebrigadewhohadledthemtovictoryatWagramsomemonthsearlier,andthethirdfromtheOldGuard.Thisnewforcewastobemustered,inspected,andthendispatchedtoSpaininthefollowingweeks: thefirstdivision is toassembleatChartreson13December 1809,and,provisionally,willbecommandedbygénéraldebrigadeFrançoisRoguet.Thisdivisionwillbecomposed‘d’unescadrondechevau-légersPolonais,d’unescadrondechasseurs, de la compagnie de mameluks, d’un escadron de dragons et d’un escadron de Grenadiers, le tout formant 600chevaux.OnprendradepréférenceleshommesquisontàParisetquin’ontpasfait-lacampagned’Allemagne,etleG[énér]alWaltherdésigneraunmajordelaGardepourcommandercerégimentdecavalerie.L’infanteriedecettedivisionseracomposéedu2erégimentdeconscritsetdu2erégimentdetirailleurschasseursformantla1erebrigade,du2erégimentdeconscritsetdu2erégimentde tirailleursGrenadiers formant la2ebrigade.Chacundeces régimentssera fortde 1,600hommesaumomentdudépart.Ilyauradeuxpiècesde3oude4attachéesàchaquerégimentaveclescaissonsd’infanterienécessaires.Ces8pieces

serontserviesparunedes troiscompagniesd’artilleriede laGardequi se réunissentà laFère.On joindraégalementàcettedivision des caissons pour le transport du pain, des ambulances, un commissaire des guerres, un détachement del’administration de la Garde, des boulangers et tout ce qui est nécessaire pour faire campagne. Au 15 décembre le généralDorsenne passera la revue de cette lere division; & sur le compte qu’il m’en rendra le 17, je donnerai des ordres pour sadestinationulterieure.LarevueauralieusurlaplacedeChartres’.

The seconddivisionwillbe commandedbygénéraldebrigadePierreDumoustier, andwillbe composed ‘du 1errégimentdeconscritsetdu1errégimentdetirailleurschasseurs,du1errég[imen]tdeconscritsetdu1errég[imen]tdetirailleursGrenadiers,chaquerégimentayant1600hommesprésentssouslesarmes,d’unrégimentdecavalerieforméd’unescadrondechevaulegerspolonais,d’unescadrondechasseurs,d’unescadrondeGrenadiersetd’unescadrondeDragonsfortde600hommes,enayantsoin de prendre les hommes lesmoins fatigués. Chaque régiment d’infanterie aura deux pieces d’artillerie; ce qui fera huitpièces,quiserontserviesparunedescompagniesd’artilleriequiseformentàlaFère,descaissons,administrations,&c.[...]Jepasserailarevuedecettedivisionle15,auCarrousel;elledevraêtredanslecasdepartirle16décembre’.

Thethirddivisionwillbeformed‘dedeuxrégimentsdefusiliersetdedeuxrégimentsdelavieillegardecomposéschacunde1600h[omm]esprésentssouslesarmesetaura8piecesdecanon.ToutelacavaleriedelaGarde,avec60piecesd’artillerie,4000outils attelés, et six pontons à la suite de la compagnie de pontonniers et desmarins, sera prête à partir le 1er janvier. J’enpasserai la revue le 1er janvier à midi au Carrousel’. Napoleon then concludes with a summary of the force that he hasconstructed in thismanner: ‘[a]insimaGarde sera composée à sondépartpour l’Espagnede 19000hommesd’infanterie, de4000hommesdecavalerieetde84piecesdecanon,avec tous lescaissons,administrationset toutcequiestnécessaire.Cecorps sera commandépar leducd’Istrie sousmesordres immédiats’.The letter endswith an instruction todisseminatehisorders asquickly aspossible, andafinalnoteon thevictuallingof the force: [i]l estnécessaireque laGardeait les caissonsnécessairespourporterdupainaumoinspourquatrejours’.

Thisletterwaspublished,withsomevariationsandminoromissions,inCorrespondancedeNapoléon1er,XX,no.16032andalsoinCorrespondancegénérale(no.22557),againwithsomevariationsandminoromissions;neitherofthetwoeditionsappeartohavedrawnuponthepresentmanuscript,althoughthenewereditionusedacatalogueillustrationofpartofit.CorrespondancegénéralerecordseightlettersfromNapoleontoClarkewrittenon5December1809(nos22554-22561),soitispossiblethatthisletterwasnotincludedinthelotssoldbySotheby’sandChristie’snotedabove.

6. NAPOLEON I and Louis-Alexandre BERTHIER,Prince of Neuchâtel andWagram. Letter signed (‘Alexandre’) fromBerthiertoNapoleonwithatwo-lineautographreplybyNapoleon,Plancy,20March1814.

One page, 4to (250 x 202mm); folded for posting, slightly browned and spotted,margins skilfully reinforced on versowithjapanesetissue;provenance:early,carefullyerasedannotationinlowermargin–neatannotationina19th-centuryFrenchhandontheuppermarginandanotheronthelowermarginidentifyingNapoleon’sresponse(markedwithan‘X’)as‘notedelamaindeNapoléon’(possiblyexecutedwhenthemanuscriptwasmountedinanalbum)–loose,early-20th-centurytypeddescriptionoftheletterandtranslationintoEnglish,onel.,tracesofmountingonverso(presumablymountedonanalbumleafwiththeletterwhen sold at:) – sale, Parke Bernet,NewYork, 1December 1947, lot 353 (‘The letter ismounted on a sheet of paper;undoubtedlyextractedfromanalbum’)–sale,BloomsburyBookAuctions,18October2001,lot148. £4950

SUBSCRIBEDWITHATERSEORDERBYNAPOLEON,MOSTPROBABLYDURINGTHEBATTLEOFARCIS-SUR-AUBE

‘LESDIRIGER SUR SEZANNE ET ARCIS SURAUBE.’A letter fromBerthier confirming thatNapoleon’s ordershadbeen carriedout,annotatedwith a further instruction in the Emperor’s hand (forNapoleon’s original orders, see his letter of 18March 1814,CorrespondancedeNapoléonIer(Paris:1869),XXVII,pp.389-390).WritteninthefinalweeksoftheWaroftheSixthCoalition–whichwouldendignominiouslywithNapoleon’sdefeat,abdication,andexiletoElba–Berthier’sletterrespondstoNapoleon’sorders of 18 March and confirms that men and matériel have been marshalled in preparation for Napoleon’s plannedengagementwithSchwarzenberg’sAustro-RussianforcesateitherMéryorTroyes.BerthierstatesthathehasinstructedGeneralMouriez,thecommanderofMeaux, ‘defaitpartirdecetteplacehier19mars,leconvoide100.voituresd’artillerie,venantdeParis’,andthattheconvoywillbeescortedbythe6thBattalionofthe86thRegimentoftheLine;the3rdBattalionofthe40thRegiment of the Line; one battalion of the Garde national each from the Seine-Inférieure, the Eure, and theOise; the 8thRegimentofCavalryoftheLine;andonebatteryofeightpiecesofartillery.Berthiercloseshisletterwiththestatementthat,‘[c]econvoiaducoucherhieràLaFertésousJouarreetdoitarriveraaujourd’huiàMontmirail’.

TheplanssetinplacebythisexchangewouldculminateintheBattleofArcis-sur-Aube(20-21March1814),adesperate,hard-fought engagement between the heavily outnumbered French forces and the Austro-Russian units commanded by TsarAlexanderIandSchwarzenbergthatwererangedagainstthem.NapoleonrespondedtoBerthier’sreportwithahastily-writteninstruction ‘lesdiriger sur Sezanne etArcis surAube’, and,mostunusually,Napoleonneither signednor initialledhisnote,whichsuggeststhatitwaswrittenunderthemostdesperatecircumstancesinthecourseofthebattle.

The battle ofArcis-sur-Aubewas the last thatNapoleon fought in person before his abdication on 6April 1814.During theengagementNapoleon’shorsewouldbekilledbeneathhim,asashellexplodedandengulfedbothriderandmountinsmokeandflames,andtheFrenchwouldbedefeated,despitetheirremarkableefforts.Indeed,Thierswrotethat,‘thesoldiersaswellas [Napoleon]performedprodigiesof valour.Napoleonbelievedhimself victorious, andhebelieved it sincerely, for itwas amiraclethat20,000menhadresistedforcesthathadsuccessivelyincreasedfrom40,000to90,000.Hewasproudofhimselfandhissoldiers,andsawinthispossibilityoffightingforcessounequalaguaranteeofsuccesstotheendofthewar’(Historyofthe

ConsulateandtheEmpireofFranceunderNapoleon(London:1894),X,p.83).Suchhopeswere,however,ill-founded,andbytheendofMarch theAllies had enteredParis; shortly afterwards,Napoleonwouldbedeposedby the Senate and compelled toabdicate.

BerthierhadbeenappointedChiefofStaffoftheArméed’ItaliebyNapoleonin1796andfromthattimewasanindispensablecolleague, who would implement Napoleon’s plans and strategies and become Chief of Staff of the Grande Armée. AfterNapoleon’sabdicationin1814,BerthierwouldserveLouisXVIII,andlaterescortedthemonarchfromFrancewhenNapoleonreturnedduring theHundredDays; this letter isoneof the last tobegeneratedbya formidable collaboration that spannednearlytwentyyearsandwasfundamentaltoNapoleon’smilitaryconquests.

7.NAPOLEONI.LetterSigned(‘Napoleon’)toFerdinandIII,GrandDukeofTuscany(‘MonsieurmonfrèreettrescherOncle’),Portoferraio,Elba,10October1814.

Onep.onabifoliumwithintegralblank,4to(230x186mm);foldedfordispatch,otherwiseverygood;provenance:19th-centurypencilled annotation at the foot in Italian, identifying the recipient – sale, Sotheby’sNewYork, 23November 1981, lot 199 –‘PropertyfromaProminentAmericanLibrary’(sale,Christie’sNewYork,14June2006,lot362). £9500

AREMARKABLEANDMUCH-QUOTEDLETTERFROMTHEEXILEDNAPOLEON,REGRETTINGTHATHEHASNOTHEARDFROMHISWIFEFORTWOMONTHSNORFROMHISSONFORSIX,ANDWISHINGTOCOMMUNICATEWITHTHEM

‘JE ME FLATTE QUE, MALGRÉ LES ÉVÉNEMENTS QUI ONT CHANGÉ TANT D’INDIVIDUS, VOTRE ALTESSE ROYALE ME CONSERVE QUELQU’AMITIÉ.’AremarkableandmovingletterfromtheexiledNapoleontoFerdinandIII,theGrandDukeofTuscanyanduncleofEmpressMarie-Louise,askingthathebeallowedtocommunicatewithhiswifeandtoreceivenewsofherandhisson,theKingofRome.

FollowinghisfirstabdicationinApril1814,NapoleonwentintoexileonElba,wherehelandedon4May.UnderthetermsoftheTreatyofFontainebleau,NapoleonwasallowedasmallarmyandpermittedtoretainthetitleofEmperor;however,EmpressMarie-Louise and theKing ofRomehad returned to her nativeVienna and, under the treaty, shewas given the duchies ofParma,Piacenza, andGuastallawith full sovereignty.Napoleon’shopes that sheand their sonwould joinhimonElbawerefrustratedbyanumberoffactors(includingherdesirenotto),andcommunicationwascomplicatedbythewatchfulnessandinterventionsofthecensors,theunreliabilityofpostalsystems,andtheinterferenceofpoliticalfigures.Angeredandsaddenedbythesedifficulties,NapoleonexplainstoFerdinandIIIthat,‘n’ayantpasrecudenouvellesdemafemmedepuisle10aoutetdemonfilsdepuis6mois’,he is sending this letter tohimvia chevalierColonna,MadameMère’s chamberlain.Napoleon thenproposes that he is allowed towrite a letter toMarie-Louise everyweek,whichwill be transmitted via Ferdinand, and thatNapoleonwillbesentnewsofherinreturn,andalsothelettersofthecomtessedeMontesquiou,thegovernessoftheKingofRome.Afterexpressing thehope that,despite themomentouseventswhichhavechanged somany,Ferdinand retains somefriendship for him, Napoleon explains that Ferdinand’s consent to the proposal will provide great consolation. The letterconcludeswithNapoleon’swishthatFerdinandlookswithfavourupon‘cepetitcanton[i.e.Elba],quipartagelessentimensdelaToscanepoursapersonne’andthat‘VotreAltesseRoyalenedoutepasdelaconstancedessentimensqu’ellemeconnaitpourelle,ainsiquedelaparfaiteestimeetdelahauteconsidérationquejeluiportequ’ellemerappeleausouvenirdesesenfans’.The familial bonds between the twomenwhich are referred to in the salutation are restated inNapoleon’s valediction: ‘DeVotreAltesseRoyale,letrèsaffectionnéfrèreetneveuNapoleon’.

Marie-LouiseandNapoleonhadmarriedon1-2April1810andon20March1811shegavebirthtothelegitimatemaleheirthatNapoleonwishedfor.ThematchbetweentheFrenchemperorandthedaughteroftheHolyRomanEmperorFrancisII(FrancisIofAustria)hadbeenguidedbyMetternichandwascertainlyinformedbypoliticalconsiderations.FollowingAustria’sdefeatbyFrance,analliancebetweenthetwoempireshadbeenestablishedbytheTreatyofSchönbrunn,andthemaritalunionservedtoconsolidateit.Themarriage,however,begantofalterastheWaroftheSixthCoalitionmovedtowardsitsconclusion,andMarie-Louise’srelationshipwithCountvonNeipperg,whichbeganwhileNapoleonwasinexile,ensuredthatshedidnottraveltoElba,norrejoinhimduringtheHundredDays.

FerdinandIII(1769-1824),becameGrandDukeofTuscanyin1790,whenhisfatherbecameHolyRomanEmperorLeopoldII.FollowingFerdinand’sdefeatbytheFrench,theTreatyofLunéville(1801)gaveTuscanytoFranceandgrantedFerdinandthe

principalityofSalzburg,with the titleofElector. In 1805heexchanged it for theduchyofWürzburgunder the termsof theTreatyofPressburg,andonlyreturnedtoTuscanyasGrandDukein1814,followingNapoleon’sdefeatbytheSixthCoalition.Napoleon’shopethatfamilialtieswouldendearhimtoaformeropponentwhohadlosthislandsandtitletoFrance’sambitionswasmisplaced;asNormanMackenziecommented,aftercitingthistext, ‘[t]heDukedidnotevenacknowledgethisletter[...]butsentitonto[hisbrother]theEmperorFrancis.Francismerelyshowedittohisdaughter,withinstructionsthatshewasnottoreply.Andsheneverdid.SheneverwroteNapoleonanotherword’(TheEscapefromElba:TheFallandFlightofNapoleon1814-1815(Barnsley:2007),p.135).

InhisMarie-Louise,l'îled'Elbe,etlescent-jours(Paris:1885),ImbertdeSaint-Amand–whoreprintsthefirsthalfoftheletteronp. 75–quotesanaccount leftbydeMéneval (whohad travelled toViennawithMarie-Louise),which illuminates thewiderpolitical context: ‘Un jour [...] au retour d’une des visites journalières que Marie-Louise faisait au palais impérial, elle enrapportaunelettredel’empereurNapoléonquesonpèreluiavaitremise.L’empereurseplaignaitdusilencedel’impératrice,etlapriaitdeluiécrirepourluidonnerdesesnouvellesetdecellesdesonfils.Cettelettreétaitdepuisquatrejoursdanslesmainsdel’empereurd’Autriche;uncourrierdugrand-ducdeToscanel’avaitapportée.Elleavaitétésansnuldoutecommuniquéeauxsouverains;carc’étaitdanscetteintention,etpourprouversabonnefoiàsesalliés,quel’empereurFrançoisavaitexigédesafillelaremisedeslettresqueluiadresseraitsonépoux.L’impératricenefitaucuneréponse,attenduquelapermissionneluienétait pas accordée’ (pp. 74-75). Indeed, the letter of 10August 1814 referred tobyNapoleonwas the last thathewould everreceivefromMarie-Louise.

THE POIGNANT AND PATHETIC SENTIMENTS EVINCED IN THIS LETTER, TOGETHERWITH THE KNOWLEDGE THATMARIE-LOUISEWOULDNEVER RETURN AND THAT THE KING OF ROMEWOULD NEVER SEE HIS FATHER AGAIN BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 1821 HAVE ENSURED ANENDURING INTEREST IN THIS LETTER, which has been frequently quoted in both the original and in translation since it waspublishedinCorrespondancedeNapoléon1er(Paris:1879;XXVII,no21651,withsomeminoromissionsandvariations).Oneoftheearliestprintingsof thetextwasbyImbertdeSaint-Amandsomesixyears later(asnotedabove),andD.A.Bingham’sASelectionfromtheLettersandDespatchesoftheFirstNapoleon(London:1884)includedanEnglishtranslationofthefirsthalfoftheletter(III,pp.355-356).IntheveryearlytwentiethcenturythetextpublishedintheCorrespondancewasreprintedinfullbyFrédéricMassoninL'impératriceMarie-Louise: 1809-1815(Paris: 1902,pp.609-610),onthecentenaryofNapoleon’sdeath,thefirsthalfof the letterwasprinted inNapoleon; racontépar lui-même 1807-1821 (Paris: 1921,pp. 235-236), and, inmore recenttimes,thesamepassagewasquotedbyMaxGalloinchapter24ofhisNapoléon:L'immorteldeSainte-Hélène(Paris:1997).

8.NAPOLEONI.Lettersigned(‘Np’)toLouisNicholasDavout(‘MonCousin’),Paris,26May1815.

5pp.on2bifolia,[3pp.blank],4to(226x182mm);numbered‘394.’intoprightcorneranddocketed‘AuministredelaGuerre.’atbottomof 1r,both in ink inanear-contemporaryhand, foliated inpencilonallwritten ll.;alledgesgilt,2 [?morerecent]greensilktiesthroughmainfoldattopandbottom,foldedoncefordispatch,generallyverygoodandclean;provenance:sale,‘Empire’,Sotheby’sParis,2December2003,lot350. £5500

ANIMPORTANTLETTERTODAVOUTABOUTTHEDEFENCEOFPARIS,WRITTENONTHEDAYALEXANDERIOFRUSSIA,FRANCISIOFAUSTRIA,ANDFREDERICKWILLIAMIIIOFPRUSSIAMARCHEDONFRANCE

‘LATOURDUMILIEUVISÀVISLAVILLEAUNGRANDCOMMANDEMENT,MAISELLEESTCOUVERTÉPARUNTOITQUIDOITÊTREOTÉENCASDEGUERRE;ILFAUTÉTABLIRUNEPLATEFORMEVOUTÉEPOURRECEVOIRDESPIECESDECANONQUIAURAIENTLÀUNCOMMANDEMENTJUSQU-AUXPORTESDEPARIS.’Inthisletter,writtenduringtheHundredDaysandlessthanamonthbeforeWaterloo,Napoleonplans the defence of Paris against the Allied forces mustered against him, gives Davout, the Minister of War, detailedinstructionsforthepreparationofVincennesasadefensiveposition,andexplainsitsroleinthedefenceofParis.Vincennes,animportantprisonundertheConsulateasmuchastheEmpire,wasusedbyNapoleontoincarceratehigh-profileorsignificantfigures, since it was very well defended: its donjon tower, built in the fourteenth century, is the tallest medieval fortifiedstructure in Europe. In preparation for the Russian campaign of 1812, which required significant logistic support, NapoleondecidedtouseVincennesasamajorarsenalandsupplydepot,anditremainedinuseassuchuntil1814,whentheEmpirefell.

Twomonthsbeforethisletterwaswritten,NapoleonhadreturnedfromElbatoParisasLouisXVIIIdepartedthecity,andtheentiregarrisonroseupinfavourofNapoleonon30March1815.ThroughoutthespringandintheweeksleadinguptoWaterloo,theEmperor’seffortswereconcentratedonpreparingthedefenceofFrance,andthisletterisconcernedwiththemeasuresthatNapoleonputintoplaceatVincennesforthispurpose.Theletterbeginswiththeinformationthaton10June(i.e.twoweekslater) the donjon of Vincenneswould be handed over by the artillery to the police; but if the enemy should approach, theartillerywouldstillbeabletoreturntothefortressandmakeuseofit.NapoleonhadvisitedVincennesthepreviousdayanddescribesinthisletterthesuppliesofammunitionthathefoundthere–toolittleforthedefenceofParis,andaboutathirdlessthanheexpected:fewerthan200cannons(ratherthan300);2millionroundsofammunitioninsteadof5million;20Coehorn-typemortars,whichneedtobesupplementedwithtenGomer-typemortarstosecuretheentireareawithconfidence.Indeed,Napoleoncommentsthat,hadhehadsufficientsuppliesofmortarsatVincennesduringtheBattleofParisin1814,thePrinceofWurttemberg’sforceswouldnothavebeenabletoestablishanartillerydepotatthefortofCharenton.

Napoleon thenasksDavout for advice aboutpotential sources for furtherweaponry, and instructs that, since there areonlysmallreservesoftoolsforthemilitaryengineersleft,20,000furthersetsofsapper’stools(‘outilsàpionniers’)shouldbebroughttoVincennes.Furtherinstructionsconcerntheacquisitionofverylargehowitzerswithagreaterrangethanthepresentguns;thearmingofthesiegetowerssothatallofthemmaybeused;andthere-acquisitionofaportionofthegroundsthathadbeensold,toexpandthespaceavailableformilitaryuse.NapoleonthencalculatesthecapacityofVincennesasanarsenal:withthedonjonthereisspacefor100,000arms,butwithoutitforonly70,000,andheplanstoconvertsomeofthelivingquartersandthe church (already pressed into service, but not fully exploited) into further storage – the church is to accommodate anadditional20,000guns.Withsomefurtheradjustments,Vincennesinitsentiretyshouldthusholdsome200,000piecesanditshouldbecompletelydevotedtoissuesofarmamentandfortification:‘[i]lfautquetoutVincennessoitunatelierd’artillerie’.

ThefinalportionoftheletterconcernsmilitaryandarchitecturalchangesinVincennes:Davoutistooverseethepavingofapathtoprovideaspacefortheuseoftroopsandartillery,and,inthecaseofwar,theroofofthecentraltowerfacingthetownshouldberemovedinordertosetupavaultedplatformonwhichartillerycanbeplaced.AnyartillerysituatedherewouldbeveryadvantageouslyplacedtocommandanareathatreachedtothegatesofParis.ThelettercloseswithanaffirmationoftheVincennes’ important strategic role: ‘[l]’action que Vincennes doit avoir fut la défense de Paris, rend tous ces changemensnecéssaires’.

Thesearrangementsandpreparationsweremostnecessaryandpressing–on26May1815,thedateofthisletter,theEmperorsofRussiaandAustria,andtheKingofPrussialeftVienna,tomarchonFrance.TheTimesof29May1815printedareportfromtheGazettedeFranceof23MaydiscussingtheproblemsthatthearmiesoftheSeventhCoalitionmightface:‘thewantofunityin thisalliedarmy,comprehendingsuchdiversityof interests, languages,andmanners, [maybe]contrastedwiththeFrencharmy, comprised of one people, united in one common cause, and directed by one single genius’ (p. 2) – the meticulousplanning shown in this letter accordswith this analysis and illustratesNapoleon’s ability toplan successfully across abroadtheatre. It also demonstrates the importance of Napoleon’s earliest military experiences, gained as a second lieutenant ofartilleryintheregimentofLaFèreandthenasfirstlieutenanttothe4thregimentofartillery,andthethoroughunderstandingof artillery and its strategic use which he acquired during these years and deployed to great effect throughout hismilitarycareer.

On theAllied side, theDuke ofWellingtonwasmaking similar preparations and assessments; in a letter of 26May 1815 toCastlereagh,theForeignSecretary,Wellingtonenclosed‘aroughmemorandumofthestateofourforceatpresent,withaviewto the calculation of subsidy’, and givingmuchdetail onmen available andmen, aswell asmoneys, needed (Southamptonarchives,MS61WellingtonPapers1/465/77).

The letterwas not published inCorrespondance deNapoléon 1er, butwas printed inH. deMauduitLes derniers jours de laGrandeArmée(Paris:1847),pp.407-410.

9. MELVILLE, Robert Saunders DUNDAS, 2ndViscount.Draft autograph letter signed (‘Melville’) toViscountKeithandothers,Wimbledon,27June1815.

2 pages on a bifolium, 4to (237 x 185mm); headed‘Private & Secret’ and docketed on the verso;watermarked ‘CAnsel / 1813’, all edges gilt; folded forfiling, light browning and offsetting, otherwise verygood; provenance: [?]Andre De Coppet, New York(1892-1953, vide infra; his sale, Sotheby’s, 28 October1957, part IX, lot 2613; sold for £32 to:) –‘Hobbins’(buyerofrecord). £3500

‘YOUSHOULDTAKEEVERYPRECAUTIONINYOURPOWERWITHAVIEWTOHISSEIZURE&DETENTIONSHOULDHEENDEAVOURTOQUITFRANCE BY SEA.’ An important draft of a letter from Viscount Melville, the First Lord of the Admiralty to Viscount Keith,Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet and three other admirals, alerting them to Napoleon’s intentions to escape toAmericaintheimmediateaftermathofWaterlooandinstructingthemtostophim.ThescionofadistinguishedScottishlegalfamily,RobertDundas(1771-1851)hadenteredparliamentin1794astheMemberforHastings,andwasappointedPresidentofthe Board of Control for India in 1807, where his principal occupation was to frustrate Napoleon’s efforts to gain politicalinfluenceorpower inBritishIndia. In1811hesucceededhis fatherasthesecondViscountMelvilleandin1812Liverpool, thePrimeMinister,promotedMelvilletothepositionofFirstLordoftheAdmiralty:‘[a]ttheAdmiraltyMelvillegaveofhisbest.Adiligentadministratorablybalancingthepressuresonhim,hewasregardedbythenavyasathoroughlyreliablerepresentativeofitsinterests,andbyhispoliticalcolleaguesasamanwhocouldberuthlesswhennecessary.Whilethewarswenton,hisjobwas tomaintain the Britishmaritime supremacy established at the battle of Trafalgar. In a state paper of February 1813 hepointedoutthatFrance,withtheshipbuildingresourcesofHollandandItalyatherdisposal,wouldbeabletoconstructafleettomatchBritain'sifthestrugglecontinuedmuchlonger.ThepointwasunderlinedbycomplaintsfromWellingtoninSpainofinadequateprotectionfortheconvoyssupplyinghim,especiallyaftertheoutbreakofhostilitieswiththeUnitedStatesin1812unleashedhordesofAmericanprivateersontheAtlantic.Withresourceseverywherestretched,Melvilleyetcoped’(ODNB).

FollowinghisdefeatatWaterlooon18June1815,NapoleonhadfledthebattlefieldandreturnedtoParison21June.On22Junehe abdicated and began to plan his escape to theUnited States,while theAllies attempted to track down and capture the

THEBRITISHNAVYATTEMPTTOPREVENTNAPOLEON’SESCAPETOAMERICAAFTERWATERLOOANIMPORTANTMANUSCRIPTFROMTHECELEBRATEDDECOPPETCOLLECTIONOFNAPOLEONICA

fugitive Emperor, before he departed from Europe, as Melville’s instructions show: ‘[r]eports have reached His Majesty’sGovernmentfromvariousquartersthatintheeventofadversefortune,itwastheintentionofBonapartetoescapetoAmerica.Ifthereisanytruthinthosestatements,hewillinallprobabilitymaketheattemptnow,unlessheshouldbeforciblydetainedatParis. Ifheshouldembark inasmallvessel fromoneofthenumerousPortsalongtheCoastofFrance, itmaybescarcelypossibletopreventhisescape;butifheshouldwaittillaFrigateorSloopofWarcanbefittedoutforhim,youmayperhapsreceiveinformationofsuchpreparation,&maytherebybeenabledtowatch&intercepther.Atanyrateitisdesirablethatyoushouldtakeeveryprecautioninyourpowerwithaviewtohisseizure&detentionshouldheendeavourtoquitFrancebysea’.Intheevent,Napoleon(fearingthewrathofavengefulLouisXVIII)threwhimselfuponthemercyoftheBritishandsurrenderedtoFrederickMaitland,captainofHMSBellerophon,on15July1815.

ThisappearstobeMelville’sretaineddraft,whichhasbeendocketedontheversowiththenamesofthefouradmiralsitwastobe sent to: Keith; Sir John Duckworth Bt, the Port Admiral at Plymouth; Sir Edward Thornborough, Commander-in-Chief,Portsmouth;andSirThomasFremantle(attheendoftheletter,thenamesofrecipientsaregivenas‘AdmiralViscountKeith,&c&c&c’).Twowordshavebeencancelled,andthetexthasbeenamendedwiththeadditionofacaratandanannotation‘toLordKeith&SirJ.Duckworthonly’,toshowthatthesentence‘Atanyrateitisdesirablethatyoushouldtakeeveryprecautioninyourpowerwithaviewtohisseizure&detentionshouldheendeavourtoquitFrancebysea’shouldonlybeincludedinthecopiesofthelettersenttoKeithandDuckworth.

Thepresentmanuscriptmatchesexactlythedescriptionofthe‘AutographDraftsigned’ofaletterfromMelvilletoKeithdated27June1815inthecollectionoftheAmericancollectorAndreDeCoppet,whichwassoldin1957(seeprovenancenoteabove),andispresumablythesamemanuscript.DeCoppetwaseducatedatPrincetonUniversityandthenworkedasabrokerinhisfamily’s firm ofDe Coppet &Doremus, and through the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s he assembled an outstanding collection ofEuropeanandAmericanhistoricalmanuscripts.MuchofhisAmericanawasbequeathedtoPrincetonafterhisdeath,buttheremainder of the collection (comprising nearly 3,000 lots) was sold by Sotheby’s between 1954 and 1958 in a series of tenauctions, of which five were dedicated tomanuscripts of the revolutionary and Napoleonic eras: as Sotheby’s wrote in theprefacetothefirstoftheNapoleoniccatalogues,DeCoppet‘wasfascinated[...]bytheintellectualmenofactionandoftheseheregardedNapoleonaschief.ThedispersaloftheCrawford,Rosebery,andBrouwetcollectionsofNapoleonicahaslefthisownwithoutarivalinprivatehands.Manyofthechoicestthingsfromthesecollectionspassedintohis’.

ThetextwaspublishedinH.W.E.Petty-Fitzmaurice,EarlofKerry(ed.)TheFirstNapoleon.SomeUnpublishedDocumentsfromtheBowoodPapers(London:1925),pp.145-146,fromthecopyofthelettersenttoKeith(Kerrywasthegreat-great-grandsonofViscount Keith, and included some of his ancestor’s correspondence in the volume), and C. Lloyd (ed.) The Keith Papers:SelectedfromtheLettersandPapersofAdmiralViscountKeith(London:1955),III,p.346.

LOUIS-PHILIPPED’ORLÉANS,THEFUTUREKING,PREPARESTORETURNTOFRANCEAFTERTHERESTORATIONOFLOUISXVIII

10.LOUIS-PHILIPPE,ducd’Orléans,andlaterKingofFrance.AutographlettertoThomasSeymourBathurst,Twickenham,17January1816.

1page,4to(224x183mm);tornfromabifoliumatleftedge,foldedfordispatch,2shortmarginaltearsandoneonafold,allwithhistoricalrepairsontheverso,nonethelessverycrispandclean. £400

ANUNUSUALAUTOGRAPHLETTERWRITTEN INENGLISHBYLOUIS-PHILIPPE(1773-1850),DUCD’ORLÉANSANDLATERTHELASTKINGOFFRANCE,WHILEHEWASARRANGINGHISRETURNTOFRANCE FOLLOWINGTHE SECONDANDFINALABDICATIONOFNAPOLEON.Louis-Philippe had been forced to flee France in 1793 and had settled at Twickenham near London in 1800. In 1814, upon therestorationofLouisXVIII,hereturnedtoFrance,whereheservedinthearmy,and,followingNapoleon’ssuccessfulreturninMarch1815,wasdispatchedwiththecomted’Artois(thefutureKingCharlesX)toapprehendtheEmperor.Theyfailedintheirmission,andLouis-PhilippewasforcedtoleaveFranceagain–itwasonlyin1816,sometimeaftertheBattleofWaterlooandduring the subsequent reconstitutionof a post-Napoleonic France, that Louis-Philippewas able to establishhimself andhisfamilyinParis.

ThisletterwaswrittenbyLouis-PhilippetotheyoungsoldierThomasSeymourBathurst(1793-1834),whohadservedinthe1stFootGuardsandfoughtatWaterloo;hisregimentremainedinParisin1816-17,anditislikelythatthisletterwassenttohimthere. Seymour (as hewas known tohis friends and family, and is addressedhere by Louis-Philippe)was the sonofHenryBathurst, 3rdEarlofBathurst (1762-1834),whoheldanumberofofficesof state andwasSecretaryof State forWarand theColoniesfrom1812to1827;inthedecadefollowinghisappointment,Bathurst,LordLiverpool(thePrimeMinister),andLordCastlereagh (the foreign secretary), ‘were effectively an inner cabinet that decided foreign, military, and colonialpolicy’(ODNB).

Louis-Philippe’s letter thanksSeymourBathurst (whomhehadprobablymet throughhismilitary service) for ‘hisverygreatkindness in taking chargeof somany things for theDuchess&Mademoiselled’Orleanswhichhavebeen received very safenotwithstandingthesearchattheCustomhouse’.(Louis-PhilippehadmarriedMariaAmelia,daughterofFerdinandIV,in1809,and by January 1816 they had two sons and twodaughters; a third daughterwould be born inMarch 1816.) The letter thenenquiresaboutthefateofsomeparcelswhichhadbeensentpreviously,buthadnotyetbeenreceivedatParis–‘itissupposedthey are still detained at the Customhouse’ – and concludeswith Louis-Philippe’s statement that, ‘theDuke&Duchess ofOrleanswouldbeextremelyobligedtoLordBathursttoreleasethem’.

LordBathurst(i.e.Henry,3rdEarlofBathurst),wasresponsibleforNapoleon’sexiletoStHelena,butwouldalsohavebeeninchargeoftheimportofgoodstoFranceinhiscapacityofSecretaryofStateforWarandtheColonies.Withthisletter,writtentothesonwhohadalreadyprovedhimselfhelpfulintherelocation,LouisPhilippeappearstohavehopedthatLordBathurst’sinfluenceinFrancewouldensurethespeedyreleaseofhispropertyfromthecustomhouse.

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