ROI

See his entry in the Encylopaedia Britannica. The signature ‘Mirbel’ is written on a clear area of a circular printed device of 4.5 cm diameter, in grey tone, within decorative border. The text reads: ‘MUSEUM / D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE / AU JARDIN DU ROI / Entrée aux Jours et Heures / consacrés à l’Etude. / Prof. Admin.’ Laid down on a 7 x 7.5 cm piece of paper, on which is written, in a neat early nineteenth-century hand, ‘Mirbel the naturalist’. See image.

See image. A nice item, linking two important figures in French history. 1p, foolscap 8vo, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium of unwatermarked gilt-edged wove paper. Aged and lightly creased, with short closed tears and wear at the head. The ten lines of neatly written text are neatly and clearly signed ‘Louis’, and there is a wavy and almost vertical line from the king’s signature to that of ‘Chateaubriand’ at bottom right of the page.

2.5 x 11.5 cm slip of paper, laid down on part of leaf from album, with d'Albret's autograph dating ('i67i') on 1.5 x 6 cm slip laid down below it. In good condition, lightly aged. The valediction of a letter, written in an undisciplined hand.

3pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged, worn and brittle paper. 66 lines of closely-written text, heavily revised with additions, deletions and emendations. The author describes his scheme as 'un projet qui contribuerait a l'embellissement de le grand plan de Bruxelles, sans qu'il coutait rien a la ville'. He describes the renovation of the facade of the Maison du Roi, and suggests the placing of 'Statuettes d'Albert et d'Isabelle' in a 'niche gothique'. Jamaer reconstructed the Maison du Roi in 1868.

On one side of a 22 x 33 cm piece of vellum. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with some pin-holes to margin. Stamp in black ink at head of the 'REV. CAS DU ROY [...] GEN. DE PARIS'. Signed at end: 'Collationné aux originaux par moi Ecer. Coner. Secretaire du Roy maison Couronne de france et de Ses finances/. | Sainson'. Each transcript is eight lines long, the first having been signed by 'Orry' and the second by 'Carreler' (both signatures also transcriptions). The recorded payments were made by Dorel in connection with his office as 'Coner.

3pp., 12mo. With mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The lower part of the second leaf has been cut away, not affecting the text. He begins by stating that he has received the recipient's 'last telegram announcing that you had postponed till to morrow your visit to London'. He has in turn telegraphed 'Mr. Benzon to propose to him to come to the Charing Cross Hotel at 11 or 12. In that case I would offer to yourself & Mr. Benson [sic] a breakfast at the Hotel'.

12mo, 8 pp. Fair, on aged laid paper. On four leaves removed from a pocket book, with two leaves numbered in manuscript '41' and '42'. Apparently a first-person draft of information for an appeal by the oldest surviving member (from the inception of the group) for a stipend. Begins 'Depuis le commencement de l'an 1760 que j'ai ete recu a la Musique du Roi, j'ai été en exercice jusqu'en 1792, avec 222. sujets qui s'y sous dont 40 vivant encore au 18 Janvier 1815. [...]'.

Foolscap (roughly 31.5 x 20 cm): 2 pp. Bifolium with blank second leaf. Thirty-one lines of text. On lightly aged and creased paper, with some discoloration and chipping in a thin strip at head (roughly 1.5 cm deep), affecting the date and letterhead but not the text. Text clear and entire. Casting interesting light on early nineteenth-century news management by the authorities in the continental Europe. The letter concerns the coronation of Charles X.