Rare and precious letter from Jean RACINE to Marshal of Luxembourg. 1693

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Rare and precious letter from Jean RACINE to Marshal of Luxembourg. 1693:
$68424.00

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Jean RACINE (1639.1699)

Signed Autograph Letter to François-Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, Marshal of Luxembourg.

Four pages in 4° (225 x 165mm)

Paris, August 2 [1693]

« … history shouldn’t lose a syllable…”

Precious Autograph Letter signed by Racine, poet and historiographer of Louis XIV, in an exalted tone, addressed to the victor of the Battle of Neerwinden, Marshal of Luxembourg.

With a fluid and modern pen, Racine describes, over the course of these four wonderful pages, the flavors of military triumph and invites us alongside the Sun King, Madame de Maintenon, Nicolas Boileau, Comte d’Artagnan, etc., in the halls of the Court.

The exceptional rarity of Jean Racine’s letters should be noted here.

Beyond Louis Racine’s (his youngest son’s) 1756 donation to the King’s Library of a small set of his father’s manuscripts and works (now kept at the B.N.F.), the number of the poet’s letters that have come down to us is very small. Those, moreover, bearing his signature are the exception."

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« While waiting for us to be instructed by yourselves of the details of your victory, please, Monsignor, that I tell you that it is regarded here as the greatest and most heroic action that ever took place in the war." You defeated not only very brave and highly seasoned enemies, but even enemies who fought in desperation, and who found themselves in necessity either to make an extraordinary defense or to see their entire army perish. I can see that’s what caused the stubbornness with which they disputed their entrenchments to you, and forced you to give seven battles for one. But, Monsignor, scruples take me to dare to speak before you of such lofty things above me.

I’d better just tell you what I heard the King himself say. He didn’t talk about anything else yesterday. He repeated several times that it was a great, glorious action. It seemed to you very willing to have made his Infantry his enemies as respectful as they already respected his Cavalry."" He praised greatly and took pleasure in explaining your marches since Huy’s capture, and speaking of the number of dead, he said that these great deeds were not carried out without his cost to individuals.” I even heard him say very kindly, "I wish such news had come to me from Germany." Finally, he read four times in public the letter which you wrote to him by M. d’Artagnan, as noble in its simplicity as beautiful as the action itself..

Madame de Maintenon, among others, seemed to me greatly touched, and praised her extremely." I held it by heart and charmed it yesterday Madame la Princesse de Conti and today M"rDespréaux [Nicolas Boileau] who claims like me that history shouldn’t lose a syllable.” All who were at Marly that day, I say even the most greedy praisers, cried out as well as His Majesty at the greatness of this action, and I was quite glad to see your enemies defeated as well as those of the King. I am sending you a letter from Mr the Count of Toulouse, who did me the honour of choosing me from among all your servants to entrust it to me." It comes with that of Mr d’O, its Governor. Mr de Cavoye told me to send you that your victories are becoming too frequent and exhausting his eloquence, that you’ve got to give him time to breathe and regain his mind.”

I forgot to tell you that the King said to Mr the Prince in front of everyone you saved Mr's lifer the Duke by making him take up arms in spite of himself. You judge Her Majesty has said many other things that I may not have heard. But, anyway, I can assure you I have never seen him so happy.

He is currently in just concern about what will have happened in Germany, and God willing, as he himself said, that the news on this side be as good as it has come to him from you."

Forgive such a long letter for the joy you have caused me, and for the extreme interest I take in your glory which seems every year can’t grow anymore and yet grows every year. I am Monsignor your very humble and obedient servant Root. A Paris le 2and August. »

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François-Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, Duke of Piney-Luxembourg (1628-1695) was made Marshal of France in 1675. Considered one of Louis XIV’s most brilliant warlords, he also remains in military history under his nickname " Tapestry of Notre-Dame » (due to the large number of enemy Flags taken by his troops from the battlefields and decorating the nave and the Paris Cathedral Choir).

Under his command, the French army won Neerwinden’s victory on 29 July 1693 against the armies of the King of England, William III of Orange-Nassau, during the War of the League of Augsburg (1688-1697). Neerwinden’s victory on 29 July 1693 against the armies of the King of England, William III of Orange-Nassau.”

It is this last victory, announced to King Louis XIV by Pierre de Montesquiou d'Artagnan (1640.1725), which gave birth to in Racine the exalted tone of this long letter testifying to the marshal of the enthusiasm of the king and the court.

Becoming a historiographer of Louis XIV in 1677 alongside his friend Nicolas Boileau, Racine then put his wonderful pen at the service of royal power: " Mr Despréaux [Boileau] who claims like me that history shouldn’t lose a syllable.” ”.

The manuscript of his Life of Louis XIV, composed over twenty years of work, tragically disappeared, in 1726, in the fire that devoured the eight thousand volumes of the library of Jean-Baptise-Henri de Valincour, custodian of his works.

The letter presented here is one of the three letters from Racine to Marshal of Luxembourg long considered lost.

About these three letters, Jean Lesaulnier writes in his publication of the Jean Racine Correspondence : “Kept together perhaps in the marshal's family, they were presumably listed later. Eugène Minoret’s publication, which revealed them to us in 1884, appears to have been kept under the bushel for nearly one hundred and thirty years. Since that date, in fact, Racine’s three letters in Luxembourg have not been commented on or even listed at any time. ” (pp. 430-431).

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Provenance: Antoine Eugène Minoret (1816-1891) — President Robert Schuman (1886-1963; his sale, Precious autographs from the collection of President Robert Schuman, Paris, March 4 and 5, 1965, Cornuau and Castaing experts, No. 250, acquired by Pierre Berès for 19,249 francs)

Bibliography: Jean Racine, Correspondance, edited by J. Lesaulnier, Paris, 2017, n° 138 — A. E. Minoret, Three Unpublished Letters by Jean Racine (1693), Paris, 1884

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