MONCEY (Bon-Adrien Jeannot de). - Lot 220

MONCEY (Bon-Adrien Jeannot de). Born in Moncey [Doubs]. 1754–1842. General of the Revolution. Marshal of the Empire. Duke of Conegliano. Autograph letter signed “Moncey” to “My dear curator.” Mâcon, 16 Germinal, Year 13 [April 6, 1805]. 4 pp., small quarto. Moncey, after providing some news of his journey, explains at length to his correspondent the work and modifications planned for his various residences and offers numerous recommendations.Thus, he says, ...I am only waiting for a word—the keys have been handed over—to give some preliminary instructions and have the work begun, for upon my return from this trip I must be able to live in this house; should circumstances allow me a moment’s rest, that is where my heart will find comfort. This house will be mine entirely; I wish to have complete control over it, and for the one in Moncey to be entirely separate from it. This is my home, and my wife will have hers as well. I do not mean to say that she cannot enjoy whatever may later be found there that is pleasant for her—on the contrary—but I wish to have absolute control over it and to live there as I please... Furthermore, he wishes for an inventory...of all parts of the castle, the farmhouse, stables, and so on; that he [Mr. Ganne] bring along someone strong enough to assess the immediate measures needed to prevent the collapse of the crumbling section of the building and to make it habitable, (...). Let that same person also assess and provide a list with approximate dimensions of the furniture needed—at least on a temporary basis—for the parlor, dining room, my apartment (six to seven master bedrooms), and an equal number of rooms for the staff, whether mine or others’. A rough estimate of the total cost should be prepared for my guidance, and all of this should be sent to me in Lyon without delay... He needs a great deal of information and... desires it all the more promptly since, once I have crossed the Alps, I am not sure how much free time I will have; there my major obligations—arising from significant events and minute-to-minute matters—will resume, as will those related to my correspondence with Paris and the army throughout the Empire, (...) Once I know what I need to focus on, I plan to ask my older brother to go to those locations (please let me know your opinion) and to have the work begun under the supervision of skilled foremen, following the guidance you would provide them regarding the selection of these workers, who, in turn, will enlist the necessary helpers, will expedite the work and carry it out with care. These workers—whether masons, joiners, carpenters, or roofers—who serve me well would be the ones I would assign to the upkeep of the houses I own, and the ones I would then employ to clean up the one in Moncey and make it presentable... What follows is a long list of all the renovations to be done and... In the outbuilding, you will find more lumber than is needed for the entire project, and, give or take a little, all the stone that is needed as well. That is what Mr. Le Prieur should have done before the mess at the other house, since he didn’t hire a tenant farmer there and didn’t see it as urgent. He did not uphold his reputation for skill at my house any more than he responded to the friendly welcome I extended to him; he treated me like their flock of old; I forgive him, but to remain composed in the face of all the disorder I have just witnessed—both in the exterior of the house and in the ruin of the estates—one must certainly know how to control oneself. The poor man certainly knew how to manage his own affairs, but at the very least he should have simultaneously attended to the interests that had been so generously entrusted to him...