LANNES (JEAN). Set of 7 autograph letters signed... Lot 5

LANNES (JEAN). Set of 7 autograph letters signed to his wife Louise Guéheneuc. 1801-winter 1804-1805. - Malmaison, 23 messidor an IX [July 12, 1801]. "Oui, ma petite amie, je te demande pardon, sans sepandant avoir tort, tu dois pien pancer, ma petite Louise, que je n'ai pas de plus grand plaisir que celui de t'écrire; tue est parti[e] hier sans me l'avoir dit, tu vois don bien qu'on ne doit jamais juger sans entandre; JE NE CROIS PAS QUE LE PREMIER CONSUL AILLE [A] PARIS AUJOURD'HUI, JE LE VOUDRAI[S] SEPANDENT BIEN..." (one p. in-4, address on spine; small tear to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). Chief of the Consular Guard, the future Marshal Lannes followed Napoleon Bonaparte on his travels. - Malmaison, 23 thermidor an IX [August 11, 1801]. " ... LE CITOYEN TALAYRAN M'A DIT QU'IL T'AVAIT RANDU VISITE; IL T'A TROUVÉ BIEN JOLIE, ET BIEN FRECHE. This morning I saw Doctor Corvizard, who gave me news of your friend [Louise's father], he must get better, he assured me that it would cure him completely; you know, my good friend, that he is never wrong; so you must rest easy, and so must I..." (one p. in-4, address on back). - Malmaison, 9 fructidor IX [August 27, 1801]. " ... How time is l[o]ng, my dear friend, when one is far from what one loves; I told you I would only be in Paris on the twelfth, that's at least a siè[c]le for me; I won't keep my word, I'll go and kiss[r] you before then... For life all yours..." (3/4 p. in-4, address on spine; small tear to address leaf due to opening without affecting text). - Saint-Quentin [in the Aisne department], 22 pluviôse an IX [February 11, 1801]. " ... It is when one is far from what one loves, that one sant le bezoint de ce rapprocher; oui, ma bonne Louise, JE PRESSE LE PREMIER CONSUL DE REVENIR A PARIS... Mille choses à ton ami [Louise's father] et ta maman, je sans que je les aime beaucoup..." (1/3 p. in-4, address on spine, address of future Marshal Bessières crossed out, small tears to address leaf due to opening without affecting text). - S.l.n.d. "It's against my heart, my good friend, if I'm not with you. I feel it's been a s[ièc]le since I've seen you; I'll be home early. It will be a pleasure to kiss you. Adieu, ma bonne Louise, pour la vie ton bon ami..." (1/3 p. in-4; small tear to blank leaf due to opening). - Vitry, 19 fructidor an X [September 6, 1802]. "Your friend [Louise Guéheneuc's father] wrote to you, my dear Louise, two days ago, that BUSINESS DEPRIVED ME OF THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO JOIN YOU..." (one p. small in-4). - S.l., [winter 1804-1805]. Continuation of instructions concerning their château and estate in Maisons (now Maisons-Laffitte), purchased in October 1804: he speaks of the upholsterer, the mason, the staircase to the stables, the dovecote, the sheepfold, the English garden, the oats to be sold, the rows to be pulled, the rabbits and hares he wants to have, etc. (2 pp. in-4, address on back, remnant of red wax seal; small marginal tear due to opening without affecting the text). LA MARECHALE LANNES, née Louise Guéheneuc (1782-1856), was Joséphine's lady of the palace, then Marie-Louise's lady-in-waiting. Her father was made a senator and her brother an aide-de-camp to Napoleon I.