Beinecke MS 340               France, s. XV-XIX
Documents

A collection of documents bearing the signatures of rulers or important
personages of France; most are preceded or followed by an engraving of the
person.  Mounted so that both sides of the document are visible.
1
1.  f.2 Document of Louis XI (1423-83), in Fr.; signed at Abbaye de la
Victoire, 3 Sept. 1475.

2.  f. 3 Certificate of nobility given by Charles VIII (1470-98), in Fr.;
signed at Surgeres, 1 July 1470.

3.  f. 5 Document of Charles VIII (1470-98), in Fr., introducing Jehan Odet
to the Duke of Milan; signed at St. Germain, 15 May [no year].

4.  f. 7 Letter of Louis XII (1462-1515), in Fr.; signed at Loches, 19 Feb.
[no year]; countersigned Robertet.

5.  f. 8 Letter of Marie de Cleves (1426-87), in Fr.; signed at Blois,
8 May 1475; countersigned Villebresme.

6.  f. 10 Document of Louis XII (1462-1515), in Lat.; signed by Lecharron at
Milan, 1 March 1505.

7.  f. 12 Letter of Francois I (1494-1547) to the Duke of Urbino, in Fr.;
signed at Paris, 25 Dec. 1518.

8.  f. 14 Autograph letter of Louise de Savoie, duchess of Angouleme,
(1476-1531), in Fr.; signed 2 May 1526 [?].

9.  f. 16 Letter of Henri II (1519-59) to Ferdinando Gonzaga, in Fr.; signed
at St. Germain, 31 Jan. 1548.

10.  f. 18 Letter of Catherine de Medicis (1519-89) to the vicomte de
Turenne, in Fr.; signed Paris, 18 July 1585.  Copy of the same letter f. 19.

11.  ff. 21-22 Letter of Francois II (1544-60) to the Bishop of Limoges, in
Fr. and cipher; signed 31 Aug. 1560; countersigned Robertet.

12.  f. 24 Autograph draft of a letter of Charles IX (1550-74), in Fr., about
the duc de Guise and the Prince de Conde; undated.

13.  f. 26 Document of Charles IX (1550-74), in Fr.; signed at Bordeaux, 15
Apr. 1565.

14.  f. 28 Document of Charles IX (1550-74), in Fr.; signed by Brulart, notary
of the King, at Vincennes, 15 June 1562.

15.  f. 30 Autograph letter of Henri III (1551-89) to the duc de Nevers, in
Fr.; signed 20 June 1588.

16.  f. 32 Autograph letter of Henri IV (1553-1610) to a lady, with the return
of her palfrey, in Fr.; no date.  Copy of the same, f. 33.  f. 35 blank

17.  f. 36 Letter of Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615), in Fr.; signed in 1614;
remains of seal attached.

18.  f. 38 Letter of Marie de' Medici (1573-1642) to the duc d'Orleans, in
Fr.; signed 21 July [no year].  f. 39 blank

19.  f. 40 Letter of Marie de' Medici to a marquis, in Fr.; dated Dec. 1622.


20.  f. 41 Document of Marie de' Medici to Cristiana di Francia, in It.; no
date.

21.  f. 43 Letter of Cesar, duc de Vendome (1594-1665), to the duc de
Beaufort, in Fr.; signed at Vendome, 16 May 1662.

22.  f. 45 Letter of Louis-Joseph, duc de Vendome (1654-1712), in Fr.;
signed 24 March 1703.

23.  f. 47 Letter of Marie de' Medici, in Fr.; no date.

24.  f. 49 Letter of Louis XIII (1601-43) to M. le Chancelier, in Fr.; signed
at St. Germain, 19 Jan. 1642.

25.  f. 52 Letter of Anne of Austria (1601-66) to M. Chanut, Conseiller du
Roi, in Fr.; signed at Paris, 1 Dec. 1650.  f. 53 blank

26.  f. 55 Letter of Gaston, duc d'Orleans (1608-60), to the Diocesains de
Castres [?], in Fr.; signed at Blois, 26 Nov. 1652.

27.  f. 57 Letter of Ferdinand II (1578-1637) to Louis XIII (1601-43) of
France, in Lat.; signed at Frankfort, 14 Sept. 1619.

28.  f. 59 Document of Louis XIV (1638-1715) to governors and lieutenants of
provinces, in Fr.; signed Aug. 1643 by his mother Anne of Austria, acting as
regent.

29.  f. 61 Document of Louis XIV (1638-1715) to the Controlle general des
finances, in Fr.; signed Dec. 1650 by Anne of Austria, acting as regent.

30.  f. 63 Autograph letter of Louis XIV (1638-1715) to the Princesse de
Nemours, his sister, in Fr.; signed at Versailles, 16 June 1701.  f. 64 blank


31.  f. 66 Document of Marie Therese of Austria (1638-83), in Fr.; signed
at Versailles, 8 Sept. 1676.

32.  f. 68 Letter of Philippe II, duc d'Orleans (d. 1723), in Fr.; dated
10 Apr. 1709.

33.  f. 69 Letter of Marie Francoise de Bourbon to the comtesse de Toulouse,
in Fr.; no date.

34.  f. 70 Commission of Marie Francoise de Bourbon for Jacques Bertin [?],
as a Brigadier de Gardes, in Fr.; dated 24 Feb. 1740.

35.  f. 72 Letter of Louis XV (1710-74) to the Emperor, in Fr.; signed at
Versailles, 30 Dec. 1744. f. 73 blank

36.  f. 75 Autograph letter of Louis XV (1710-74), in Fr.; no date.

37.  f. 77 Letter of Marie Leszczynska (1703-68), wife of Louis XV, in Fr.;
signed 31 Dec. 1747.

38.  f. 79 Letter of Marie Leszczynska to the Cardinal Collicola, signed at
Versailles, in Fr.; 17 Jan. 1729.

39.  f. 81 Document in Fr.; signed by Louis Philippe, duc d'Orleans
(1725-85), and others; signed at Versailles, 2 May 1753.

40.  f. 83 Letter of Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, marquise de Pompadour
(1721-64), in Fr.; no date.

41.  f. 85 Document of Jeanne Becu, comtesse de Barry (1743-93), recording
debt of 2000 livres to M. Gilbert, in Fr.; dated 16 Nov. 1786.

42.  f. 87 Letter of Louis XVI (1754-83) to M. le Controlleur general,
about Fontainebleau, in Fr.; signed at Versailles, 14 Jan. 1774.

43.  f. 90 Letter of Louis XVI authorizing payment to S. Forget, in Fr.;
signed at Paris, 30 Sept. 1791.

44.  f. 92 Document of Marie Antoinette (1755-93) authorizing payment, in Fr.;
signed at Versailles, 1 July 1783.

45.  f. 94 Letter of Chretien Guillaume de Lamoignon de Malesherbes (1721-94),
in Fr.; signed at Versailles, no date.

46.  f. 96 Letter of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) to the Ordinateur en chef,
in Fr.; no date.

47.  f. 98 Brevet d'honneur for one Suss, after the siege of Thionville, in
Fr.; signed by Napoleon Bonaparte, 5 July 1799.

48.  f. 100 Authorization by Napoleon Bonaparte for the ship Trifone to sail
from Venice, in It.; signed 21 Nov. 1811.

49.  f. 103 Document of Napoleon Bonaparte, authorizing Francois Jean
Baptiste Lang to enter the service of the King of Westphalia, in Fr.; signed by
Marie Louise at Saint-Cloud, 6 Sept. 1813.

50.  f. 105 Letter in It. about Italy; no signature, no date.

51.  f. 107 Letter of Louis XVIII (1755-1824) authorizing payment to Gare,
Inspecteur general des chasses a Brunoi, in Fr.; signed at Versailles,
25 Apr. 1778.

52.  f. 109 Letter of Louis XVIII asking M. le Cure of St. Denis to keep
the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette at St. Denis, in Fr.; signed at
Paris, 20 Jan. 1815.

53.  f. 110 Letter of Marie Josephine Louise to the comtesse de Provence, in
Fr.; no date.

54.  f. 112 Document of Charles X (1757-1836) for reimbursement of one Chalus,
in Fr.; signed at Versailles, 2 Sept. 1781.

55.  f. 114 Letter of Charles X to the Baron de Damas [?], in Fr.; no date.

56.  f. 116 Letter of Louis-Philippe (1773-1850) to M. Delacroix Frainville,
in Fr.; signed at Neuilly, 8 May 1827.

57.  f. 118 Letter of Louis-Philippe to M. Duchaffault, announcing the
opening of the Session des Chambres, in Fr.; signed at the Tuilleries, 15 Nov.
1836.

58.  f. 119 Letter of Louis-Philippe to M. de la Rochefoucauld, announcing the
opening of the Session des Chambres, in Fr.; signed at the Tuilleries, 27 Nov.
1843.  f. 121 blank

59.  f. 122 Certificate of residence for a soldier in Vendome, in Fr.; signed
by various persons at Vendome, 18 July 1791.

60.  f. 124 Letter of Louise Marie-Amelie (1782-1866), wife of Louis
Philippe I, to Cardinal Bernetti, in Fr; signed at Paris, 23 Feb. 1836.

61.  f. 126 Letter of Louise Marie Adelaide de Bourbon Penthievre
(1753-1821) to Mme. Lyon, in Fr.; signed 2 Feb. 1812.

62.  f. 128 Letter of A. de Bracevick to the King, asking for the Croix de la
legion d'honneur, in Fr.; dated 14 July 1839.

63.  f. 130 Letter of Napoleon III (1808-73) to M. Briffault of London,
in Fr.; signed at Paris, 4 Apr. 1848.

64.  f. 131 Letter of Napoleon III to the Minister of Justice, in Fr.; signed
at the Elysee National, 9 Feb. 1849.

65.  f. 132 Letter of Napoleon III to the Sacre College, in Fr.; signed at
Paris, 15 Feb. 1860.

66.  f. 134 Letter of thanks by Eugenie, Empress of France (1826-1920) to
"mon Cousin" for Christmas greetings, in Fr.; signed at Paris, 20 Feb. 1859.

67.  f. 136 Letter of Eugenie, Empress of France, to her uncle, in Sp.;
signed at Paris, 21 May 1853.  f. 137 blank; f. 138 copy of the same letter, in
Fr.

68.  f. 139 Letter of Eugenie, Empress of France, to the comtesse Waluta; in
Fr.; no date.

69.  f. 140 Letter of Frederick Hardman, concerning the Emperor's health,
etc., in Eng.; signed at Paris, 7 Sept. 1866.

70.  f. 142 Letter of Henri, comte de Chambord (1820-83) to the marquis de
Castoret, in Fr.; signed at Kirchberg, 29 Sept. 1841.

71.  f. 144 Letter of unidentified writer, in Fr., dated 5 Apr. 1868.

72.  f. 145 Letter of unidentified writer to a General, in Fr., signed at
Versailles, 5 May 1871.

73.  f. 147 Government order of payment to General Marie Edme Patrice
de MacMahon (1808-93), in Fr.; signed at Paris, 28 March 1854.

74.  f. 148 Letter of General Marie de MacMahon to a General, in Fr.; no date.


75.  f. 150 Letter of Jules Grevy (1807-91), in Fr.; no date.

76.  f. 152 Letter of Sadi Carnot (1837-94) to M. Cournieaux, in Fr.; dated
1884.

77.  f. 153 Letter of Felix Faure (1841-98), in Fr.; dated 26 Oct. 1890.

78.  f. 155 Letter of J. P. P. Casimir-Perier (1847-1907) recommending one
Theodore Asselin, in Fr.; signed at Paris, 28 Nov. [no year].

79.  f. 156 Letter of unidentified writer, on paper whose letterhead is the
arms of the town of Montelimar, in Fr.; signed at Montelimar, 9 Oct. 1879.


Documents written at various times between 1470 and 1890.  Collected, mounted
and bound (dark blue goatskin, gilt, by Riviere and Son) in one volume during
the 19th century; arrangement of the album similar to MS 341, but by a different
binder. Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss in 1964.

Bibliography:  De Ricci, v. 2, pp. 1665-66 (while in S. Bliss's collection,
only lists arts. 1-16; a document of Henri III, included in the De Ricci
description of the volume, has since been removed).

Barbara A. Shailor