MICHAUD (Joseph-François) - Lot 181

Lot 181
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MICHAUD (Joseph-François) - Lot 181
MICHAUD (Joseph-François) (1767-1839) French historian, member of the Académie française, author of the famous Histoire des Croisades. L.A.S. "Michaud" to "Mon prince". S.l. (probably Paris), February 18 [no year]. 3 pages in-4 on laid paper, folded. Important letter concerning a planned trip to the Orient and the study of the Crusades. A beautiful, long letter in which Michaud outlines with great elevation of thought the project of a trip to the Orient, envisaged as a scholarly as well as a personal mission. Responding to his correspondent's request for a "note", he develops a reflection of remarkable intellectual modesty, first acknowledging the limits of his knowledge of the countries he proposes to explore, before considering the meaning and usefulness of his undertaking. His objective is clearly stated: "I'm going to look for the traces of the French knights, those of Godefroi, Louis VII, Louis IX...". He intends to gather the material needed for a historical geography of the Crusades, which he considers still incomplete despite the progress of knowledge in Europe: "...to make a geography of the crusades which could not be complete with the help and light we now have in France and Europe." Far from any excessive personal ambition, he insists on the scholarly dimension of his project, hoping to produce a work useful "to scholars" above all, while refusing to claim any service to the State. He also evokes his models, notably the travelers and scholars who preceded him, implicitly citing the great scholarly travel ventures of the Ancien Régime, and places himself in a tradition of scholarly research based on direct observation. The letter ends with a formula of respect and deference: "I have the honor to be, with deep respect, your most humble and devoted servant". Interest Very fine piece, remarkable for : a dense, well-constructed, almost programmatic text ; direct testimony to the intellectual genesis of Michaud's work on the Crusades; the presence of major figures (Godefroi de Bouillon, Louis VII, Saint Louis); a perfect example of early 19th-century historical thinking, between scholarship and travel; a long, readable letter with high reading value. Context Joseph-François Michaud is one of the great French historians of the 19th century. His major work, Histoire des Croisades (History of the Crusades), is based on precisely this type of approach: gathering sources, comparing accounts and, more rarely at the time, observing the places themselves. This letter sheds light on this intellectual ambition, demonstrating the link between the travel project and the historiographical project.
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