[Napoleonica]. Le Manuscrit venu de Sainte-Hélène apprécié à sa juste valeur.

€ 1,500.00

First edition; rare. The first refutation of the famous "Manuscrit venu de Sainte-Hélène, d'une manière inconnue", which was published anonymously in London earlier that same year. This mysterious "manuscript", an apology of Napoleon Bonaparte's actions and intentions, was supposedly written by Napoleon himself or by a close friend. While soon exposed as a fraud, the work was long variously attributed to Madame de Staël, Charles Tristan Comte de Montholon, Benjamin Constant and E. J. Sieyes before Frédéric Lullin de Châteauvieux (1772-1841) from Geneva, a friend of Madame de Staël, was established as the author. Napoleon himself composed a refutation which was later published. The present anonymous publication is sometimes attributed to the publisher Michaud himself. "La première réfutation qui ait été faite de ce fameux libelle" (Hoefer). A perfect, wide-margined specimen bound in sumptuous red full morocco by Hatchards of London.