BANCEL (Jean-Baptiste, François, Désiré). - Lot 28

BANCEL (Jean-Baptiste, François, Désiré). Born in Lamastre (Ardèche) in 1822—died in 1871. French lawyer and politician, Montagnard representative for the Drôme, Radical deputy for Lyon. Autograph letter signed “D. Bancel,” addressed to “My dear [Seniau].” No place, May 11, 1870. 1 page, in-8. An interesting political letter written while the author was convalescing; in it, Bancel—temporarily removed from parliamentary life—expresses his keen desire to remain informed of the debates in the Legislative Body. He refers to a “long and painful convalescence” forcing him to remain in complete rest, but nevertheless requests that the *Journal officiel* be sent to him in Valence so that he may follow the discussions and “at least hear the echoes” of them. This account sheds light on the unwavering commitment of a Montagnard deputy on the eve of the fall of the Second Empire, who was determined not to be cut off from current political events despite his illness. Autograph signature.