Jean-Charles-Léonard Simonde de SISMONDI (1773–1842). Letter - Lot 141

Jean-Charles-Léonard Simonde de SISMONDI (1773–1842). Letter from the author, Chênes near Geneva, January 22, 1842; 3 pages, in-8. Regarding his *History of the French*. He recalls meeting his correspondent in the spring of 1838 and the interest the latter had already shown in his work. Regarding his *History of the French*, he is pleased to see that the correspondent approves of “my impartiality toward Louis XIV. In fact, I had not adopted any preconceived system; I did not wish to establish or justify any opinion—I simply let myself be guided by the impressions and conclusions that the study of the facts suggested to me as I went along. “But sir, you wish to encourage me to continue this work up to the period I witnessed with my own eyes”; yet he does not know if he will reach the goal he has set for himself, “although I am working with desperate zeal. I am utterly worn out. I am nearing seventy years of age; I have been ill for twenty months, and I am struggling against constant suffering. That I may reach the death of Louis XV is all I desire; others will write better than I about the times when they will have to rely more on their own memories than on printed documents. That would be an entirely new undertaking for me, and I am too old to learn how to do it”…