Stendhal (i.e., Beyle, Marie-Henri), French writer (1783-1842). Autograph letter signed ("F. Brenier").

No place, [14 May 1814].

8vo. 3 pp. on bifolium. With autograph address on verso.

 9,500.00

To his sister Pauline Périer-Lagrange (1786-1857) in La Tour-du-Pin about the Bourbon Restoration shattering his dreams of a successful career under Napoleon, as well as his departure for Italy, mentioning a letter to their father requesting the title to estates with an income of 2,400 francs: "Tu verras, ma chère Pauline, dans le journal d'aujourd'huy, the total fall of my hope. Ainsi, il faut finir. Je passerai à Lyon dans un mois, de là à Gênes et Rome. J'ai écrit officiellement au Bastard [i. e. his father, the lawyer Chérubin Beyle] pour lui demander des terres rapp[ortan]t 2400F". He would like to grant general authority to the prosecutor Ennemond Hélie, discusses plans to sell his furniture as well as his cabriolet to raise enough money for his travels and a couple of months beyond the point when he will receive monies from M. Gagnon (likely a relative: his grandfather, Henri Gagnon, died in 1813), and admits having to struggle to reason with his creditors over a sum of 37,000 francs, hoping Pauline might persuade their father to help him out: "Je vends mon Mobilier et mon Cabriolet. Le produit de cette vente me donne le voyage et quelques mois. Ensuite l'argent que payera Mr. Gagnon. Le difficile est de faire entendre raison aux 37000F créanciers d'ici. Si tu peux pousse le bastard à être honnête homme une fois en sa vie [...]". Planning to meet her in Lyon in June, he asks her not to keep his fate a secret, sure to provoke some feelings of pity and shame among their family, especially their father, and happy never to see Grenoble again: "Nous nous donnerons rendez-vous à Lyon vers la fin de Juin. Mais où es-tu toujours au Plantier? [...] Ne fais pas mistère de ma misère. La pitié fera tomber la haine fondée sur l'envie, et peut-être donnera un peu de Vergogne au Bastard, qu'au reste j'espère bien ne plus revoir, ni Cularo [i. e. Grenoble] non plus [...]".

Signed with the pseudonym "F. Brenier". A small paper flaw due to opening the letter.

References

Champion, Correspondance générale II, 987.

Stock Code: BN#54523 Tag: