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an old handwritten letter from a man who is writing on a piece of paper
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3 - Henri BAUDRILLART (1821–1892). Letter from the author, Montl…
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Estimate €300 - €400
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Description
Henri BAUDRILLART (1821–1892). Letter from the author, Montlignon near Montmorency, 26 July 1865, to Joseph Garnier; 4 pages, in-8. Regarding an article entitled ‘Faits et propos économiques’, written by one of Garnier’s cousins, which he feels is ill-suited to publication in the *Journal des Économistes*: ‘Not that the author lacks wit, but the tone, even with your deletions, is ambiguous. […] Humour does not sit well with the sort of mediocrity that is tolerated in serious articles, provided they are instructive and substantial. We get by as best we can, but when we dance, we must do so with grace’. He advises, in the absence of Voltaire’s pen, to draw a little closer to ‘the sharp common sense and tasteful humour of Alphonse Karr, or else be like Bastiat! ‘Stir up a bit of a ruckus within the *Journal des Économistes*’… ‘The spice must be merely the seasoning for seriousness. The journal needs bees even more than it needs wasps’. He acknowledges the soundness of the ideas and the witty tone, “which I criticise only for being too farcical”, and believes that the author could succeed “without confining himself to the speciality of chronic humour”… Enclosed is another autograph letter, 18 September 1871 (2 pp., in-8), recommending his colleague Charles Vergé, of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques, director of ‘the great Dalloz collection of case law’, who wishes to spend the month of October with his family in Rome: ‘To this end, he needs guidance and advice. Who better than you, with your long-standing and profound knowledge of this great city—so fascinating to study and yet so difficult to understand—would be in a position to render him such a service?’…
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About the sale Letters and Autograph Manuscripts – Part I
Auction location
Auction time 10/13/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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