a pile of old letters sitting on top of each other
Premium Maître Paul PASTAUD

873 - [MANUSCRIPT]. – [SAINT-DENIS (Louis-Etienne)]. [Notes on the…
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Estimate €1,400 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
[MANUSCRIPT]. – [SAINT-DENIS (Louis-Etienne)]. [Notes on the work of] Mr de Norvins. Sl [Sens], undated (c. 1848). Folio, [16] folios, filled over two columns in very fine, perfectly formed handwriting, but difficult to read due to the size of the letters (approximately 40 lines per page), in loose sheets. A very valuable document, containing Louis-Étienne Saint-Denis’s annotations on the 1833 edition of Norvins’s *Histoire de Napoléon*, the first general history of the Emperor that the Mameluke Ali had read in its entirety, though, according to Jourquin, not at the time of its first publication—a fact confirmed by an internal examination of the manuscript. Beginning as a simple chronological record, the manuscript develops into a genuine critical commentary on the episodes witnessed first-hand by Saint-Denis, notably the Emperor’s captivity on Saint Helena, where he corrects the author’s errors and argues for a history based on the accounts of those close to the Emperor. It concludes with a remarkable historiographical assessment of Norvins’s work, criticising its inaccuracies, its exaggerations and its failure to depict Napoleon’s private life. (Details available on request.)
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About the sale MONTIGNAC – 31st BOOK SALE – Day 2 of 4 – Nos. 550 to 1084
Auction location
Auction time 08/20/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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