Reiset to Broumer: the departing... (1807)

NRA-L-000836 / 1807

Reiset to Broumer: the departing court at Mainz and financial business — 1807, partly obscured date

Reiset discusses the departure of the Empress, the Queen of Holland and Princess Stéphanie from Mainz, contrasts their affability with their attendants, gives recommendations and instructions concerning music, and discusses Desprez’s financial paper on Vanlerberghe’s account.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000836

NRA-L-000836 image 1 showing Broumer’s delivery address, a turned continuation, paper folds and the surviving seal. — **Image 1**Address panel and letter continuation.

NRA-L-000836 image 2 showing the opening French text and a vertical marginal addition, with the folded dateline corner preserved. — **Image 2**Letter text - Page 1.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000836
Date: 1807
Original date: Mayen[ce] [...4?] [janvier?] 1807 [partly concealed]
Type: Letter
Language: French / fr
Sender: Reiset [attributed]
Recipient: Broumer
Places: Mayence / Paris [inferred from the Bank of France address]
Extent: 2 documentary sides: Letter text - Page 1; Address panel and letter continuation; 2 digital images.
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000836.

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Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Letter text - Page 1

Original transcript

Mayen[ce, date en partie cachée par un pli] [...4?] [janvier?] 1807

Je vous dirai deux mots, Moncher ami, et C'est pour
vous gronder, l'Imperatrice [quelques mots incertains] positivement, elle doit
partir d'un moment à l'autre, la Reine d'Hollande retourne
à la Haye, la Princesse Stéphanie à Carlsruhe, ainsi voilà mayence
rendue à son néant, quant à nous, nous sommes rendus
à notre Intérieur, et Ce n'est pas ce qui nous plait le moins,
entre nous l'Imperatrice, la Reine et la princesse sont
vraiment d'Excellentes personnes, tout le monde s'en loue
et avec raison mais, Ce qui les Entoure est bien loin de leur
valoir, les Maisons de la Reine et de la princesse sont assez bien
Composées, mais Celle de l'Impᶜᵉ est, Je l'avoue, fort peu agréable,
Ce sont ces dames de grande noblesse ou de parvenus, et l'une est
aussi Insolente que l'autre, en General Il n'y a autour de
l'Imperatrice qu'elle qui ne soit point [rayé : mot illisible], qu'elle qui
soit vraiment affable.
Je suis vos conseils d'[épousseter?] un peu son recommandé
de Digeon, en conséquence, Je le laisse là et Envoye à
M. [Marbeilleur?] un garçon qui m'est vivement recommandé
et a l'avantage de savoir bien l'allemand.
Si M. Boucher, selon [un mot illisible] ordre (s'il n'était pas un
peu timbré) vient vous voir, faites lui honnêteté, s'il vous
remet de la musique, payez la lui et Envoyez la moi.
Comment se tient Desprez, il donne ses propres Billets pr
Compte de Vanlerberghe, Cela compte t il pour réellement bon.
le papier sur Paris est fort cher et d'ailleurs la Banque n'achette pas billets
[quelques mots illisibles] si Cela Continue, Je pourrais lui faire [quelques mots incertains]

[Suite dans la marge, tournée de 90 degrés]
autant que les Précédents pʳ une obligation.
Je ne m'étonnerais pas que l'Empereur vint aussi faire un tour à Paris, mais
Il est plus que probable que si la Guerre recommence l'Imperatrice reviendrait.
Tout à vous Je vous Embrasse mille fois.
[paraphe]

Notes

Documentary annotation: 6 fvr?

Letter text - Page 1

English translation

Mainz, [partly folded date: …4? January?] 1807.

I shall say a few words to you, my dear friend, to scold you. The Empress [a few uncertain words] positively; she is due to depart at any moment. The Queen of Holland is returning to The Hague, Princess Stéphanie to Karlsruhe, and thus Mainz is returned to its nothingness. As for us, we have returned to our private life, and that is not what pleases us least.

Between ourselves, the Empress, the Queen and the Princess are truly excellent persons. Everyone praises them, and rightly so. But those around them are very far from being their equals. The Queen’s and the Princess’s households are fairly well composed, but that of the Empress is, I admit, very disagreeable. They are ladies of the high nobility or of the newly risen, and the one is as insolent as the other. In general, around the Empress she alone is not [deleted: illegible word]; she alone is truly affable.

I am following your advice to [dust down?] the recommended man of Digeon a little. Consequently I am leaving him there and sending Mr [Marbeilleur?] a young man who comes highly recommended to me and has the advantage of knowing German well.

If Mr Boucher, according to [illegible] order—if he were not a little cracked—comes to see you, treat him courteously. If he gives you music, pay him for it and send it to me.

How is Desprez doing? He gives his own bills for Vanlerberghe’s account: does that count as really sound? Paper on Paris is very expensive, and besides the Bank does not buy bills [a few words illegible]. If this continues, I could [a few words uncertain]

[Continuation in the turned margin]
as much as the preceding ones for a bond.

I should not be surprised if the Emperor also came to make a visit to Paris. But it is more than probable that, if the war begins again, the Empress would return.

Entirely yours. A thousand embraces.
[flourish]

Notes

Documentary annotation: 6 February? [separate notation beneath the partly hidden heading; its function is not established]
The heading is partly concealed by a physical fold. Financial text at the foot appears to continue into the turned margin; the first marginal clause remains partly uncertain.

Address panel

Original transcript

A Monsieur
Broumer Directeur des
Livres de la banque de france

Address panel

English translation

To Mr Broumer,
Director of Books
at the Bank of France.

Notes

Faint turned writing is mirror-image show-through from the reverse, not an independent continuation. A paper wafer seal survives.

Discovery Terms

Reiset–Broumer Correspondence
Imperial court at Mainz
Personal correspondence
Financial paper

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