STENDHAL (Henri Beyle, known as) - Lot 210

STENDHAL (Henri Beyle, known as) Born in Grenoble. 1783- 1842. Writer. AUTOGRAPH LETTER to his SISTER PAULINE (1786-1857). S.l., September 13 [1807]. 3 pages in-8. Inscription, remnant of red wax seal. Ink stamp "N° 51 Grande Armée". At the time of this letter, the young Beyle, who had joined the army under the command of his cousin Pierre Daru, was traveling in Germany in the wake of Napoleon I, to whom he had a deep admiration. The road from Berlin to Hanover passed through "Stendal". Eleven years later, the name would come back to him to invent his favorite mask. In July 1807, Beyle was confirmed in his position, and given tenure. As soon as the seventeen-year-old Stendhal had left Grenoble and his hated father, he discovered the strength of the affection that bound him to his sister Pauline (the elder of his two sisters, born in 1786; he hated his second sister Zénaïde, the father's favorite). Henri made Pauline his confidante and began a close correspondence with her, which became a veritable epistolary treasure trove: ...You write to me at last, I find you charming, be patient until I get to Grenoble, I promise to get you out of trouble. Swear to me to be patient for a while longer... Stendhal continues on his itinerary: ...I arrived from Halberstadt at 1 a.m., and I leave again tomorrow at 6. Mrs Alexandrine [Pierre Daru's wife], who is in Berlin, passed through here and showed me a great deal of friendship. I've just arrived from Hanover, a lovely city, a charming trip. I'll report back to you, but all I want to do today is give you some sign of life... V. [Victorine Mounier] has much more experience than you, so make yourself enough of a friend to talk to her openly about your plans [In 1802 Beyle had fallen passionately in love with Victorine Mounier in Paris. When the young woman returned to Grenoble to get married, Stendhal asked his sister to get in touch with her to find out more about her]...Then he gave Pauline several commissions: the first: ...Prie mon papa de m'expédier Courrier par Courrier l'extrait de Baptême qui prouve que je suis né le 22 Janvier 1782, remarque l'année, le ministre le demande pour l'expédition de mon Brevet 1782 et non 1783..., la seconde: ...Prie mon grand papa décrire à Mr D. [Daru] le plus courtement possible. Me Alex. à Berlin et me voulant du bien, fera bien réussir la lettre. Ask him not to speak of Mr. Al. otherwise we would see that he is writing because I am asking him to. Something to be avoided above all.... He adds affectionately: ...I love you more and more. Adieu my dear friend, write to me, the letters you want to burn are always the best. I was about to believe you, in love and forgetting myself, write often... His third request is for ...a good impression of my father's seal... He adds a P.S.: ...A thousand and one things to our good aunt...