Lot n° 73
Estimation :
18000 - 20000
EUR
Result with fees
Result
: 34 284EUR
Napoléon Ier (1769-1821)
29 L.S. "Napol", "Nap" or "NP", of which one with autograph addition, and one with 5 autograph lines, plus 2 letters signed by Méneval, Finckenstein April 2-29, 1807, to Archchancellor CAMBACÉRÈS; the letters are written by Méneval (5 by Fain); 22 pages and 14 half-pages in-4.
[339-345, 347-356, 358-361, 363-372]
Stay at the Finckenstein castle in Poland. At the head of the majority of the letters, Cambaceres noted "to copy entirely".
April 2. "I came to carry my headquarters to Finckenstein which is a very beautiful house belonging to Mr. the count of Donna [DONA] Grand Master of the house of the King of Prussia ". He writes a note to be inserted in the Moniteur: "From Elbing. The Emperor is announced to us. We expect him here any moment. There is a lot of cavalry stationed in the vicinity of our city & all our carriages are busy working for this cavalry. One estimates at 4,000 the number of horses that the French
have drawn from the island of Nogat which is without question one of the most beautiful countries in Prussia. Considerable trains of artillery arrived from
Warsaw by the Vistula in front of Dantzick"... April 3. "My cousin, I receive your letter of March 23 with the documents relating to the Senate's accounting, which I have signed. There is nothing new here"... - You will receive tomorrow a large article from Constantinople, which you will have printed in the Moniteur. It is enough for the moment to tell you that business is going well on this side, that the English have failed & have been obliged to cross the Bosphorus again"... April 4. "Please pay great attention to the double supply of wheat that I ordered before leaving. Will experience not teach us anything, and will we have to be in need? This is the object to which Mr. Champagny must give all his attention. The buts and the ifs are not of season, & it is necessary above all that he succeeds "...Note from Cambaceres: Note of Cambaceres: "the answer of the Mr. of the interior is of April 16, in the box". - You will see in the Monitor various letters sent by my agents on the Danube, as well as the news of Constantinople.
Things are going well on that side, and the Russians seem singularly embarrassed. It is probable that they will be beaten and obliged to evacuate Wallachia. The Porte behaves better than one would have dared to hope". He adds 5 autographed lines: "I am leaving tonight for Warsaw where I will be tomorrow. I will remain there 2 days to give audience to the ambassadors of Persia and Turkey and to take some arrangements of internal administration of Poland ".
April 5. "A fortnight ago I issued a decree to lend to manufacturers on collateral. All these so-called delicacies that are being put forward are nonsense and sophistry. A manufacturer either needs or does not need. [...] Instead of being an object of discredit, it is on the contrary a means of credit. Nor do I see that the objection that the obligation for neutrals to re-export French goods would destroy the real warehouses is very serious. Financial matters are judged by financial considerations, political offenses by the political code, commercial matters by commercial considerations. Etc. - "I see with difficulty the financial spirit that dominates the Council. The ministers of the public treasury and of finance should however remember that it cost me 25 million in the year 10 to procure a few thousand quintals of wheat. The objection that these wheat cannot come to Paris is a sophism"... April 6. "I strongly approve of the decision taken by the Minister of the Navy [Decres].
One must not take any retrograde step in anything. I see with sorrow that your health is disturbed. Fortunately, I hope it is only one of the problems you have every day. If you would not take drugs, you would be much better off, but it is an old man's habit. [...] I give you today the order to send the 2nd regiment of the fusiliers of the Guard"... April 9. "The thaw finally begins to be felt. All the lakes are thawing; there is no more snow on the ground, it is no longer freezing at night. Everything leads us to think that we have arrived at the beginning of spring"... 10 April. He worries about a letter from Lacuée: "The harm that would result from this is incalculable. Where would be the security of the citizens, if without an imminent danger one returned to the conscription? [...] Next year peace will be made; & if it is not, the conscription of 1808 will recruit my armies, & that of 1809 will recruit my reserves. Young men of 18 are very suitable for defending the interior. If great reverses were to occur, & that the
Patrie ft in danger, one would leave the ordinary rules, and it would be better then to recall the past conscriptions"... April 11. "There is nothing new here. The Swedes
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