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35
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M. A. DUMAS. A History of the Political and Private Life of …
See original version (French)
35
-
M. A. DUMAS. A History of the Political and Private Life of …
See original version (French)
Estimate €60 - €80
Voluntary lot
Description
M. A. DUMAS. A History of the Political and Private Life of Louis-Philippe. Paris, Dufour and Mulat, 1852.
2 volumes in-8, modern fawn half-basane, plain spine.
[2 ff.], 320 pp.; [2 ff.], 311 pp., [1 p.], 20 engravings.
It was thanks to his beautiful handwriting—his only marketable asset—that Dumas was able, in 1823, to enter the service of the Duke of Orléans (the future King Louis-Philippe) as a clerk. He was tasked with elegantly transcribing the letters submitted for his superiors’ signature. This exceptional handwriting earned him the honour of being summoned to the Duke himself to copy a secret memorandum: the refutation of the claims of Maria-Stella, who claimed to be the legitimate daughter of Philippe-Égalité, exchanged at birth for a boy, Louis-Philippe, who was in fact merely the son of a jailer.
The young Dumas, who copied, copied and copied again, dreamt only of theatrical glory, and as soon as his period of penance was over, he haunted the wings and foyers of the theatres, often stealing to devote himself to his own writing, to the extent that the 1828 staff register bears this note in the hand of the Duke of Orléans: ‘withhold bonuses from Mr Alexandre Dumas, who is engaged in literature’.
The Duke, ever the gracious gentleman, nevertheless agreed to attend the premiere of *Henri III and His Court* on 10 February 1829.
The good relations between the two men quickly deteriorated following the proclamation of Louis-Philippe as King of the French. Dumas, his pride wounded, and a moderate yet fervent republican, eventually tendered his resignation and never ceased to oppose the July Monarchy, despite the friendship he maintained with the new Duke of Orléans, the king’s eldest son, and later with the Duke of Montpensier, another of Louis-Philippe’s sons.
His biography of Louis-Philippe is therefore a scathing indictment of the king’s policies, which ran counter to the promises born of the 1830 Revolution. As the years went by, Dumas grew ever harsher in his criticism. Until the first rumours of the uprising reached the king, who was staying in Neuilly: ‘His anxiety was great. The moment he had awaited for so long had arrived […] The situation was dire for him. For him, it was a choice between the throne and exile. ’ It was, therefore, exile.
When Dumas learnt of Louis-Philippe’s death on 26 August 1850 at Claremont in Surrey, he decided to attend the funeral. Was it regret for his lost youth, or a desire to pay tribute to a man who had given him his start in life? The House of Orléans made it clear to him that he was unwelcome and kept him away from the ceremony.
Spine worn, water stains.
Included:
- Alexandre DUMAS. A History of Eighteen Years from the Accession of Louis-Philippe to the Revolution of 1848. Paris, P.-H. Krabbe, 1853.
2 volumes in-8, aubergine half-basane, smooth spines decorated with four gilt fillets.
[2 ff.], 381 pp.; [2 ff.], 396 pp.; 11 steel engravings, not in the text.
Caps, spines and edges rubbed; corners worn. A few rare foxing spots.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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