FLAUBERT Gustave (1821-1880). - Lot 61

Lot 61
Go to lot
Estimation :
2000 - 2500 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 1 984EUR
FLAUBERT Gustave (1821-1880). - Lot 61
FLAUBERT Gustave (1821-1880). L.A.S. "Gve Flaubert", Croisset Saturday evening [May 5, 1849], to his uncle François PARAIN; 4 pages in-4. Beautiful letter announcing to his uncle his departure for his trip to the Orient with Maxime Du Camp. "I have great news to announce to you, my dear uncle, - (it is not my marriage): I am leaving next October with Du Camp for Egypt, Syria and Persia. My health, which is far from improving, has forced me to go to Paris to consult Mr. Cloquet, who has strongly advised me to go to hot countries. - When you come, I will tell you more about all this. I have a lot to tell you. - I will recommend my poor mother to you during my absence, which will last from 15 to 18 months. My mother is going to rent her house in Rouen. For she intends to spend a good part of that time in Nogent - in any case that is the best she can do. While waiting for my departure, we agreed, my mother and I, not to open our mouths about this trip for two reasons: the first is that it is useless to worry in advance, and to excite her sadness by anticipation, the second is that, not having finished my cursed St. Antoine (for it still lasts the polish! even though I am losing weight on it), it would confuse me and prevent me from working. You know, old companion, that the idea that I must be disturbed disturbs me, and I have quite enough work without having in addition the Orient dancing at the end of my table, and the bells of the dromedaries ringing in my ears over the noise of my sentences. So, even though this trip is concluded, no one says a word about it here; do you understand? We have calculated, Sieur Du Camp and I, that our means allow us to have a servant, which is more or less indispensable. We need a solid fellow, both in spirit and in physique, used to fatigue, able to handle a gun, intelligent and lively. I thought of young Leclerc [Uncle Parain's former gamekeeper], whose last escapade only confirmed my good opinion of him. If he were to be found, do you think he would want to come? He asks his uncle to find him a compact Bible in one volume... "And you, old brave man, are you still afraid of cholera - I don't know if there is any in Rouen, but there is hardly any talk of it - I think you could venture out without any danger. Besides, I don't want to give you any advice, for fear that the slightest colic that might take hold of you would make you think you were dying, but I do want to see you, I assure you. Goodbye, dear old uncle, I kiss you as I love you "... Correspondence (Pléiade), t. I, p. 504.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue