NAPOLEON III (Emperor of France, 1851-1871). Thirty-three autograph letters signed ('Napoleon Louis' and, from 1852, 'Napoleon') to the Marquise de Crenay and one to her daughter, Arenenberg, London, Ham, Bath and Paris, 29 August 1837 - 10 April 1861, approximately 55½ pages, 8vo ; and three letters by his chef de cabinet , by Dr Conneau and by a member of his entourage; and BEAUHARNAIS, Hortense de (1783-1837, wife of Louis Bonaparte). Four autograph letters signed ('Hortense') to the Marquise de Crenay, Arenenberg, 12 November 1835 - 5 December 1836, 8½ pages, 8vo (small tears in letter of 9 May 1836); altogether 41 letters tipped on guards into an album, 4°, 268 x 210mm, late 19th century diced calf. Seventeen of Louis Napoleon's friendly and informal letters to Madame de Crenay are written during his imprisonment in the fortress of Ham (Somme) following the failure of his second attempted coup d'état, at Boulogne in 1840. He describes the daily activities which he shares with his fellow-prisoners, including General Montholon and Dr Conneau (who had previously accompanied him to England). He takes up gardening ('j'ai des bouquets qui vous feraient envie'), and carpentry ('Pour me délasser de mes études scientifiques, j'ai fait dernièrement le menuisier pendant le mauvais temps et je vous montrerai un canapé et un fauteuil rustique de mon ouvrage'). He studies and writes in order to keep his name in the public eye, on subjects ranging from physics ('Je vous ai envoyé avant hier un exemplaire de ma brochure sur les sucres'), to a history of Charlemagne. 'Je m'occupe d'un grand travail, c'est l'histoire de Charlemagne. Je crois qu'à la bibliothèque de St Gall il doit y avoir quelques manuscrits interessants sur ce sujet. Auriez-vous l'extrême bonté de demander de ma part des renseignements là- dessus ...'. From England, after his escape from Ham in 1846, he writes movingly on the death of his father (Louis Bonaparte), 'C'est être bien sévère pour ne pas dire cruel d'empêcher un fils d'aller recevoir la bénédiction paternelle, surtout quand en réalité ma présence en Italie ne pouvait pas être plus dangereuse pour le gouvernement franais que ma présence à Londres'. The correspondence continues after Louis Napoleon's proclamation as Emperor, ending only with the Marquise's death. In one letter he acknowledges her congratulations on the failure of the assassination attempt on his life by Felice Orsini. Hortense de Beauharnais's letters describe her daily activities and social life, enjoying frequent visitors, 'Le Prince de Montfort', 'M. Visconti' and many others, including members of the Bonaparte family, writers, painters and musicians. A touching passage in the letter of 5 December 1836 reveals her anxiety at the outcome of her son's abortive coup d'état in Strasbourg (in October), 'j'étois à Basle le même jour où mon fils entrait à Strasbourg ... l'on est venu m'annoncer cette terrible nouvelle'. The Marquise de Crenay was a friend and neighbour of Hortense de Beauharnais and Prince Louis Napoleon when they lived at the Château d'Arenenberg on Lake Constance in Switzerland, where they were offered refuge in 1817.
NAPOLEON III (Emperor of France, 1851-1871). Thirty-three autograph letters signed ('Napoleon Louis' and, from 1852, 'Napoleon') to the Marquise de Crenay and one to her daughter, Arenenberg, London, Ham, Bath and Paris, 29 August 1837 - 10 April 1861, approximately 55½ pages, 8vo ; and three letters by his chef de cabinet , by Dr Conneau and by a member of his entourage; and BEAUHARNAIS, Hortense de (1783-1837, wife of Louis Bonaparte). Four autograph letters signed ('Hortense') to the Marquise de Crenay, Arenenberg, 12 November 1835 - 5 December 1836, 8½ pages, 8vo (small tears in letter of 9 May 1836); altogether 41 letters tipped on guards into an album, 4°, 268 x 210mm, late 19th century diced calf. Seventeen of Louis Napoleon's friendly and informal letters to Madame de Crenay are written during his imprisonment in the fortress of Ham (Somme) following the failure of his second attempted coup d'état, at Boulogne in 1840. He describes the daily activities which he shares with his fellow-prisoners, including General Montholon and Dr Conneau (who had previously accompanied him to England). He takes up gardening ('j'ai des bouquets qui vous feraient envie'), and carpentry ('Pour me délasser de mes études scientifiques, j'ai fait dernièrement le menuisier pendant le mauvais temps et je vous montrerai un canapé et un fauteuil rustique de mon ouvrage'). He studies and writes in order to keep his name in the public eye, on subjects ranging from physics ('Je vous ai envoyé avant hier un exemplaire de ma brochure sur les sucres'), to a history of Charlemagne. 'Je m'occupe d'un grand travail, c'est l'histoire de Charlemagne. Je crois qu'à la bibliothèque de St Gall il doit y avoir quelques manuscrits interessants sur ce sujet. Auriez-vous l'extrême bonté de demander de ma part des renseignements là- dessus ...'. From England, after his escape from Ham in 1846, he writes movingly on the death of his father (Louis Bonaparte), 'C'est être bien sévère pour ne pas dire cruel d'empêcher un fils d'aller recevoir la bénédiction paternelle, surtout quand en réalité ma présence en Italie ne pouvait pas être plus dangereuse pour le gouvernement franais que ma présence à Londres'. The correspondence continues after Louis Napoleon's proclamation as Emperor, ending only with the Marquise's death. In one letter he acknowledges her congratulations on the failure of the assassination attempt on his life by Felice Orsini. Hortense de Beauharnais's letters describe her daily activities and social life, enjoying frequent visitors, 'Le Prince de Montfort', 'M. Visconti' and many others, including members of the Bonaparte family, writers, painters and musicians. A touching passage in the letter of 5 December 1836 reveals her anxiety at the outcome of her son's abortive coup d'état in Strasbourg (in October), 'j'étois à Basle le même jour où mon fils entrait à Strasbourg ... l'on est venu m'annoncer cette terrible nouvelle'. The Marquise de Crenay was a friend and neighbour of Hortense de Beauharnais and Prince Louis Napoleon when they lived at the Château d'Arenenberg on Lake Constance in Switzerland, where they were offered refuge in 1817.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
