BOURBON

A nice original item, unsigned but certainly in Florian’s distinctive hand. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with neat white-paper mount adhering to one edge on the blank reverse. Foliated 93. Sixteen-line poem, beginning ‘Sur le pont-neuf, entouré de badauds, / un charlatan criait a pleine tete, / venez, messieurs, accourez faire emplette / du grand remede a tous les maux.’ In the last line the remedy is revealed as ‘un peu de poudre d’or’.

See image. A nice item, linking two important figures in French history. 1p, foolscap 8vo, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium of unwatermarked gilt-edged wove paper. Aged and lightly creased, with short closed tears and wear at the head. The ten lines of neatly written text are neatly and clearly signed ‘Louis’, and there is a wavy and almost vertical line from the king’s signature to that of ‘Chateaubriand’ at bottom right of the page.

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, it was de Calonne’s efforts at reform, which precipitated the crisis which let to the French Revolution. The present item is on a 31 x 22 cm piece of parchment. In good condition, lightly aged, with a couple of closed tears.

LETTER: 3pp, 4to. Bifolium addressed on reverse of second leaf, with Saint Quentin postmark, 'A Monsieur | Monsieur Mathias | pour inspecteur des Douanes.' in good condition, neatly written, with repair to corner cut off in breaking of the wafer, and with stub from mount adhering. 43 lines of closely-written text. A warm letter of good length, addressed to 'mon cher Camarade'. The handwriting is difficult.

1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with stub from mount adhering to one edge. Folded twice. From the celebrated Monckton Milnes collection of autographs. The letter concerns the arrangements regarding 'nos mois de vacances à la Chambre Criminelle'. Requesting a month's extra vacation, he explains that he has passed one of his two allotted months in great discomfort: 'mais d'une part, j'ai passé le mois de juin au lit dans les douleurs d'une longue et cruelle maladie: et, d'un autre côté, il m'est resté de mes souffrances un tel agonisement'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, the blank reverse of the second leaf laid down on a leaf removed from an album. Written in a hurried hand, with the meaning unclear in parts. The letter would appear to discuss the republican and Carlist insurrections against Amadeo I, the only King of Spain from the House of Savoy, who replaced the deposed Isabella II in 1870, and reigned until 1873. Froude begins by explaining that his silence has been due to the fact that he has been 'out of town for the Summer'.

On one side of a 38 x 24 cm piece of wove paper with watermarked date 1828. In fair condition, lightly worn and creased. The engraving is roughly 21 cm square, and shows three figures gathered around a table, their arms tangled as they reach forward to sign a document.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly-aged. Twelve lines of text in a close hand. The document has been signed and docketed: 'Douzieme et derniere Inventoire cette soixante seize', with the underlining of passages in which Duras undertakes to pay the sum as soon as possible, and with exactitude.

Five lines, 4to, some foxing not affecting clarity of text, as follows: "Jerome addresse cette despesche pour Mr des [?] fougeraire[?] que je vous prie de luy faire tenir en tout diligence Louis de Bourbon"

A total of 10pp., 12mo. Neatly written out in a close mid-Victorian hand. Accompanied by a slip of paper carrying a list of the eight sections into which the items in the 'Largest Box' were divided. Three of the eight are lacking. The five sections present are: '2 French Medals', '3 French Medals', '5 Medals of Various Countries', '7 French Sovereigns | Members of the Bourbon Family | French Statesmen.', and '8 Napoleon and his Family.

2pp., 4to. On laid paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Armorial engraving as heading, with crown, clouds and halo. Addressed to 'Sérénissime seigneur', and fulsome in his praise: 'C'est vous qui avez touché le coeur des potentats de l'Europe, et qui les avez rendus fovorables [sic] à notre cause; [...]'. Concludes by looking to the day when 'notre restauration sera accomplie, quand vous aurez assuré, ô prince magnanime, le triômphe de l'autel et du trone et le repos de mon pays'. Presumably written on the death of Louis XVIII.

2pp., folio. In fair condition, on aged paper. He writes that two of his aides-de-camp belong to the 'famille distinguée' of Duverger, and asking for assistance in obtaining preferment for a third in the service of the King of Westphalia. The document is annotated by the recipient at the head of the first page.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir, | Only one Word to let you know how deeply I feel your untimely loss and to ask you to be by Mrs. Lewis, her daughter and all your people the interpreter of all my sincerest sentiments of regret. | Yrs. truly | Duke de Penthièvre'.

2pp., 12mo. Fifteen lines of text. In fair condition, on aged paper. The second leaf of the bifolium is docketed, and has a small burn hole to it, but the leaf with the king's autograph on it is undamaged. Written during his exile following the revolution of 1848. Contains a reference to 'la Cujina Luisa' [María Luisa Fernanda de Borbón].

6.5 x 10 cm piece cut from envelope, with the seal (roughly 1 x 1.5 cm) in black wax (2.5 cm in diameter) attached on a strip of paper. The seal a firm impression in good condition and the envelope fragment in fair condition, on aged paper, strip carrying typewriten caption laid down at foot. The Princess's autograph is unsigned, and simply reads: 'À mon cher petit Léopold.'

1p., 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely-written text, with postscript. Slip of paper with biographical note in contemporary hand attached. He begins by stating that he has sent the 'differents papiers' of which he spoke that morning. He next reminds the recipient of 'l'affaire du brave colonel Pozac', regarding which 'vous avez bien voulu charger d'etre mon ambassadeur auprès du maréchal'. Pozac obtained the 'sabre d'honneur comme sr.

2pp., folio. On bifolium. In a contemporary hand in margin of first page: 'Mr. Leblond' and a reference number. The document begins: 'Pre. Louis Caron de Vernon a eu l'honneur de servir sous les ordres de V: Altesse Royale en 1793 dans le 73 Bataillon de Paris, et au camp de Ste. Margueritte celui d'offrir son pain a V: Altesse, qu'Elle volut bien daigner accepter, en recommandant de lui rappeller cette circonstance dans l'occasion.

16mo, 2pp. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, attached along one edge to a piece of paper bearing part of the address of the English Consul in Boulogne, William (later Sir William) Hamilton.

1p., landscape 8vo (34 x 22 cm). In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities. An attractive notice, in large type, reading: 'THE VICE CONSUL hereby notifies to the British residents in Boulogne that Divine Service will be performed in his House on Christmas day. | Vice Consular Office | 23rd December 1817.' With faint circular stamp of the 'VICE CONSULAR SERVICE'. Manuscript note on reverse, in a contemporary hand: 'Duplicate of the <?> affiche in the town of Boulogne | on Saturday 24th Decr 1817'.

Folio, 4 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, with some wear and chipping to extremities. Previously folded into a packet docketed in a contemporary hand 'Answers to Queries'. The first page begins with 'Ansr. 1.', a list of ten ministers, from '1. The Duke of Richelieu President of the Council of Ministers & of the Privy Council & Min: Sec: of State having the Dept. of Foreign Affairs.' and ending with '10. Director general Count Pradel'. P. 1 also features 'Question 2 | Answer A', beginning 'The Members of the Govt.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Neatly and closely written. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Evaluations of the conduct of more than thirty families, from a staunchly Bourbon point of view. First entry: 'Lorraine. Des sentiments trés pur. Ils quitterent ce Pais et furent trouver l'Empereur, qui les Emploie dans ses Armées.' Some families come in for criticism: 'Bethune. Cette maison si illustre s'est couverte d'ignomenie, un seul Bethune d'Artois a Emigrée.' Longest entry (twenty lines) on the Durfort Boissier family.

On paper 25 x 20 cm. Plate size 14 x 18.5 cm. Uncoloured. Title beneath print and engraver's details beneath bottom right-hand corner. Image and text clear and intact. On aged, creased and foxed paper with wear and slight loss to extremities. The illustration shows a number of galleons at sea with wind-filled sails. Each is filled with knights whose flags and shields, each bearing different designs and coats of arms, are ranged along the sides. The National Maritime Museum possesses a coloured copy of this uncommon print, which also featured in the Hennin Collection.

On rectangle of paper roughly 9 x 17 cm. Cut from the head of a letter for an autograph hunter. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of previous mount on the reverse. Above the signature a florid five-line valediction in the best courtly style. Date and beginning of letter on reverse.

12mo, 1 p. 20 lines of text. Clear and complete. On aged paper and lightly-creased paper. Writing to ask how the recipient wishes to deal with 'traités de Botanique et de Chimie' in his reviews. Written during the first of several incarnations of the 'Revue', this one beginning around 1836.

4to: 1 p. Twenty-four lines of text. On a bifolium of laid paper, and docketed on the reverse of the second leaf. Good, in faded ink on lightly-aged paper. Begins 'La france republicainne [sic] me fait perdre des renttes [sic] viageres'. She complains of the attack on her 'legitimes droits a mes biens de Corses que le roy de france garrante par un Contract', and speaks of 'droits inalterables et inprescriptible'. She asks for a 'paquet' to be passed to 'Milord Hood'.

On piece of grey paper roughly 10.5 x 13.5 cms. Creased and with some evidence of previous mounting on reverse. Docketed 'From general Reibell commanding in the Haut Rhein - who cut his way into the Tuilleries, & saved Louis Philippe & his Queen; commanded the Cavalry in Paris afterwards, on the jour des revoltees [sic] Etc. -.' Reads 'Je ne regarde pas la partie comme perdue, tout faut, nous causerons de ce qu'ils faudras faire | Tout a vous | G[ener]ale Reibell'.

Dimensions roughly three-quarters of an inch by five inches wide. Good, with glues staining from previous mounting to edges of reverse. Reads '<...> | for the right of translation - I remain, my dear Sir, your most | obedient faithful Servant | [signature] C F R de Montalembert | I shall be happy to look through the rest of the Introduction, if you think it useful.' On reverse '<...> | to be very unpalateable to those who <...>'.