Joseph-Jérôme, Count SIMÉON (1749–1842), jurist and minister - Lot 536

Lot n° 536
Go to lot
Estimation :
250 - 300 EUR
Joseph-Jérôme, Count SIMÉON (1749–1842), jurist and minister - Lot 536
Joseph-Jérôme, Count SIMÉON (1749–1842), jurist and minister. L.A.S., May 18, [1811], to his son; 1 page, in-4. An interesting letter regarding the matter of Chateaubriand’s speech to the Académie française. Then serving as Minister of State to King Jérôme of Westphalia, he shares some news: the king is leaving for Paris and is taking the queen to the Ems spa; he has purchased “Mr. de Bülow’s tableware, presumably to give it to someone.” Siméon offers advice on the education of his grandson, who lacks focus: one must require “that he apply himself, and that within a given time, he learn something by heart; he will develop his memory.” He wrote to Granet “to have him send Mr. de Schomberg a selection of colors for the insignia”… He then turns to the Chateaubriand affair: “Do you know the story of Mr. de Chateaubriand, who was appointed to the Institute to replace Chénier? It is customary to have the recipient’s speech reviewed before the public session. Mr. de Chateaubriand’s speech contained a sentence that caused his induction—the date of which had already been set—to be postponed. It is even said that he was ordered to go on a trip. Here is that sentence: ‘No one wanted to praise Milton, the great English poet, because he was a regicide. What could I say about Chénier? It would be hard to show less restraint and to defy some of his new colleagues more boldly’…”
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue