Description:

Napoleonic Wars -

Letter noting that Napoleon commanded his brother to divorce his wife!

Four pages inscribed on versos only with rectos left blank. Docketed on the verso of the last page. Signed by "Mr Cyrus Eaton", and "Brother David Larmond" and dated "London October 7th 1810". 7.5" x 9.25". Expected folds, with slight paper loss/small tears along center fold not affecting manuscript. Several faded stains. Else near fine.

A fantastic letter with great content from the Napoleonic War period. David Larmond pens a long letter to his brother, dated "October 7 th, 1810", discussing his long voyage as a member of the crew on a cargo ship. He relates numerous details of adversarial situations and complications with his journey as he travels about the world picking up and discharging cargo. Much of the content also relates to issues at hand, including Napoleon's obsession with divorce and fathering heirs for his empire. Several revealing references are shown below:

"We could not sell our Cargo on account of some of Bonapartes orders, who was expected there every day and the Danes dare not do otherwise than obey him".

"April we arrived at Stratsond, a Swedish port, up the Baltic sea where we discharged our Caro and sailed for St. Petersburgh ... we took on board a a cargo of Helmp and Iron and sailed the ninth of July for New York..."

"News I have none, Except that they are making great preparations to receive Julian Bonaparte who is on his way to this place from Rome, having fell out with his brother Napolean, who ordered him to Divorce his wife, as he had a better match in view. Julian could not think of Divorcing his wife and Bastardizing his children, and is therefore going to fley to the English for protection."

"The twenty fifth of this month our ships trial comes on and if they condemn her we shall lose our wages which will not be a trifle to lose, and I don't know but they will for under their enormous wigs I think there is mischief concealed, but if they don't condemn her we shall sail as quick as possible ..."

After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d'etat, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor in 1804. Shrewd, ambitious, and a skilled military strategist, Napoleon successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire. The letter alludes to the fascinating period of Napoleon's reign resulting in French-controlled Europe, blockades, and trade restrictions, to the period he was determined to have a male child to as an heir for his empire. In the process he had to thwart French rule as he was married to Josephine de Beauharnais, a stylish widow six years his senior who had two teenaged children. More than a decade later, in 1809, Napoleon still had no offspring of his own with Josephine, so he had their marriage annulled so he could find a new wife and produce an heir. In 1810, he wed Marie Louise.

France had numerous strict rules about heredity, including:

1. The imperial dignity is hereditary through the direct, natural and legitimate line of descent from Napoleon Bonaparte, from male to male, in order of primogeniture, with the eternal exclusion of females and their descendants.

2. Napoleon Bonaparte may adopt the children or grandchildren of his brothers, provided that they have reached the age of eighteen, and that he himself has no children at the time of adoption. These adopted sons enter the line of descent.

He proclaimed: "My decision is made. It is irreversible. The whole of France wants the divorce: they cry out for it. I cannot ignore their wishes. Nothing will bring me back, not tears, not prayers... If it were simply for my happiness, I would sacrifice it, but it is for France. You should be consoling me for being forced to give up the dearest of my affections." I love Josephine, and never shall I be happier. But we shall know, through this, the feelings of the rulers regarding this act, which will be for me a sacrifice. My family, Talleyrand, Fouche, all my ministers, demand this of me in France's name. A son would offer you far more stability than my brothers, who are disliked and incapable... Adoptions do not found new dynasties. The complexity of this decision was heightened by the Civil Codes in France at the time firstly, article 7 of the 1806 statute forbade divorce for princes and princesses of the imperial family (imperial decree of 31 March, 1806). Article 277 also stipulated that mutually-agreed divorce could not take place if the wife had reached forty-five (Josephine was forty-six by this point).

Perhaps one can say this was the beginning of the end for Napoleon, who was considered very superstitious. But perhaps the most thought provoking was the court opinion of Napoleon and Josephine's union, in which it was said that the people loved the Empress of France; that her popularity is useful to the Emperor and the Empire; that the happiness of one and the other is attached to the continuance of this union; that the Empress is the Emperor's talisman; and that their separation would put an end to his fortune.

We all know how his reign ended only a few years after his divorce. His invasion of Russia in 1812 2 years later was disastrous, where 600,000 troops entered Russia and only 100,000 survivors returned. From that point, it was a slow downward spiral for his empire, culminating with Napoleon being exiled on the island of Elba. Meanwhile, Josephine had died from pneumonia several years earlier and it is believed Napoleon's last words were about Josephine. Napoleon and France's superstitions apparently resulted in their feared fateful destiny.

A detailed letter from the Napoleonic period written by an American cargo seaman while traveling in Europe!

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