[Martin Nadaud, French revolutionary in exile as Wimbledon teacher ‘Henri Geo. Martin’.] Autograph Letter Signed, as ‘Martin’, in French, telling ‘Mons Delabussière’ to seek assistance from his ‘bon ami’ the Christian Socialist J. M. Ludlow.

An interesting letter, indicating the networks of sympathisers who assisted those fleeing to England in the years following the revolutions of 1848. In the July 1895 edition of the Atlantic, the subject of this letter, the Christian Socialist J. M. Ludlow, in reviewing Nadaud’s memoirs, described him as ‘a friend of my own, of many years’ standing’. The present item was written in the seventh of the eighteen years of Nadaud’s English exile, part of which was spent as a teacher in Wimbledon under the name ‘Henri Geo. Nadaud’. The identity of the recipient is not known. 4pp, 16mo. Bifolium on grey paper. Worn, and with a small part of one corner torn away, but in fair overall condition. Folded once for postage. Sixty-six lines of text, addressed to ‘Cher Mons Delabussière’, and signed ‘Martin’. He begins by explaining why he has not been able to return in person the ‘numéro’ (of a periodical) that Delabussière has sent him, and that he has read with great pleasure. (He had previously made arrangements about altered worktimes with a colleague.) He goes on to ask whether Delabussière would like to dine with him the following Wednesday, and whether he would like him to invite ‘Boura’ and another man as well. He states that he does not recall talking to Boura on the subject of a letter ‘écrite par le monsieur ou je suis, à celui que je venais de quitter. / Le fait de votre réussite, parle assez haut en lui même pour que, aucun on dit, ne puisse atteindre votre amore propre. Si on n’avait pas eu confiance en vous, je n’y pourais pas été appele?’ He hopes that Delabussière's ‘association’ brings him money, as friends are rare, and a man is placed in the scales of wealth rather than of honour. He has distributed Delabussière's prospectuses along with his own calling card, and bids him visit ‘un de mes bons amis, Mr Ludlow, avocat anglais, 3 Old Square Lincom-inn [sic]’ and tell him that he is ‘le professeur de (Mechanics institution)’, and ‘il aura peut être un collège à vous offrir’. It will be worth his while, ‘car ces messieurs font des sacrifices énormes pour l’education du peuple anglais’. He gives a few further instructions regarding how to approach Ludlow, ending, ‘Il sait toute mon affaire, je ne lui cache rien!’