BERRYER NICOLAS RENE: (1703-1762) Count of La Ferriere. French Magistrate and Politician. In ...

BERRYER NICOLAS RENE: (1703-1762) Count of La Ferriere. French Magistrate and Politician. In charge of protecting the relations between the King and Madame de Pompadour. Berryer is well remembered for his service during the Seven Year´s War as Minister of Marine. A good L.S., `Berryer´, with a holograph sentence, one page, folio, Versailles, 7th March 1761, to Mr. Groignard, in French. Berryer reports having received his correspondent´s letter dated 23rd February, explaining his trip to Auray in Bretagne to meet Mr. Mistral and to `.. estimate the fluyt La Fortune that this negotiator asked me to purchase. I was prevented by Mr. Mistral that the negotiator during the inspection of the fluyt had changed his mind and had renounced to the project of purchasing it. I will make the necessary to reimburse you for your expenses as soon as possible.´ Berryer further refers to the lack of funds and to the unavoidable delay for the reimbursement. Above and alongside his signature Berryer adds in his hand `et que Mr. le controleur general que cela regarde directement voudra bien y pourvoir´ (''and that Mr. the general Controler who is directly in charge of this would want to provide''). Paper with a crowned attractive watermark. With left edge trimmed and slightly clipped left bottom edge. Overall age wear and small creasing to edges, otherwise G

Berryer was a friend of Madame de Pompadour. She had him named Lieutenant General of police when she became the ''Maitress en titre'', (''Official Mistress'') to King of France Louis XV. He was later charged with protecting the relations between the King and Pompadour. Berryer created a ''cabinet noir'' (''black cabinet''), in order to keep postal correspondence between their enemies under surveillance. To this cabinet has been attributed the disgrace of several enemies of madame de Pompadour. According to Tocqueville, Berryer was ''a hard, haughty, cruel man, with much ignorance and even more presumption and stubbornness'' (''un homme dur, hautain, grossier, avec beaucoup d'ignorance et encore plus de présemption et d'entêtement''). His brutality won him the hatred of the people of Paris.