NAPOLEON'S LETTERS

Evening Post, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 8

NAPOLEON'S LETTERS

HOW THEY WERE FOUND

SALE IN LONDON

After some quick-firing bids at Sotheby's for Napoleon's letters to his Marie Louise, Mr. F. W. Warro's hammer fell at £15,000, writes A. C. It. Carter in the London "Daily Telegraph."

It was then announced that the purchaser, Mr. Ernest Maggs (who negotiated the £100,000 pmchaso of the Codex Sinaiticus for the British Museum from tlio Soviet Government), had been acting op. behalf of the French Government. This announcement obviously pleased everybody present. Unquestionably, the Bibhotheque Nationale—Franco's British Museum— is" the proper house for Trench documents of such historical importance, and the various French' departments concerned',, in providing finance for tho auction fight are to be warmly congratulated on the happy, ending. Indeed, Mr. Maggs confessed to mo that he was not*at tho end of,his munitions when making , tho ' winning bid -of £15,000. ~ , r , " , DRAMATIC 'BIDDING. .The sharp contest may bo summed up in '& teyr words. Announcing that tho letters would, :first, be offered en bloc, Mr." Ware.asked for an opening" bid— suggesting ' tentatively £5000. Mr. Ernest'Maggs .said "£1000," -which the auctioneer ''countered with tho remark," "I -am instructed to off or £2500.", > -. - From-* this stage onwards it was clear that Mr. Maggs 'was fighting tho 'owner's reserve and commissions on the book, as not a sign came from any other person' present. £10,000, £11,000, £12,000 were soon passed, but there was a bit of a slackening in the last lap between'£l4,soo and the winning bid of £15,000 from. Mr. Maggs. 'Long before the-end the hopes were shattered of those' who had come propared to fight for sections of the dossier or for single letters of the famous1 collection. Yet'l know that two of those prospective buyers wore prepared to spend £13,000 between them. "I've got to catch the 4 o'clock train to Paris and deliver them personally,*' said Mr. Maggs when he had examined his purchase. He was also the bearer of a batch oi offers by* enterprising. publishers competing for the rights of issuing the historic letters to the world. POUND IN A OTPBOABD. 'He was the bearer, too, of a very confidential 'document giving the name- of tho foieign owner of the letters, who had stipulated that the pui'chascr or purchasers should still regard it as a faecret. I may state that, this happy man will bo greatly delighted at learning that the letters have fetched as much as £15,000, as his own reserve puce was a much lower figure. His elation will also be enhanced by the fact that thiee months ago he was unaware that his castle contained the precious documents. But a learned sleuth called upon him, and suggested to him that, as former members of his family had been close friends of tlfat soldier of fortune, Neipperg (who marlied tho Empress Marie Louise shortly after the death of Napoleon), it was just possible that the letters,' which had been missing for many years, might have come into his family's possession. Search was made high and low, and at length the long-lost letters were found in an old case in a disused cupboard. It'is certain that another search will be the sequel of the remarkable sale. For it is known that Napoleon wrote many endearing notes to Marie Louise in 181 l during his visit to Boulogne and Osterid—notes which wore not found in tho lucky cupboaid. Again, there must bo the lettcis wiitten dming the mcmoiable "Hundred Days," missing from tho collection sold. In the meantime, at Christie's, the pair of pear-shaped pearl-earrings once worn by the Empress Josephine had a last bid of £1500, and Captain Cliarteris won the Empress's bracelet of 13 Brazilian. diamonds at £640.'' ;