BEAUHARNAIS HORTENSE: (1783-1837) Queen consort of Holland as spouse of Louis Bonaparte. Daughter of Josephine de Beauharnais and stepdaughter and later also sister-in-law of Napoleon I. Hortense de Beauharnais was the mother of Emperor of the French Napoleon III. An excellent A.L.S., `Hortense´, one page, 5 x 6, on attractive paper with ornated blind embossed borders, Plombieres, 24<sup>th</sup> July, n.y. [1809], to Marshal Bessieres, in French. Hortense sends a close and kind message to Bessieres relating to her correspondent´s health issues, and stating in part `J´espere que vous comptez assez sur mon amitié, mon cher Bessieres, pour croire à toute ma peine en apprenant votre hernie. Heureusement elle n´a pas eu de suite et c´est un compliment qu´il faut faire. Surtout a votre femme et a vos amis. Vous devez jouir de leur bonheur et bien vous soigner. J´espere que vous croyez a la part que je prends, au plaisir que j´aurais a vous revoir…´ (Translation: “I hope you count enough on my friendship, my dear Bessieres, to believe in all my sorrow on learning of your hernia. Fortunately it did not have a continuation and it is a compliment which it is necessary to make. Especially to your wife and your friends. You should enjoy their happiness and take good care of yourself. I hope you believe in the part that I take, in the pleasure that I would have to see you again…”) With blank integral leaf. Small professional repair to the verso of the blank leaf, otherwise VG

 

Jean-Baptiste Bessieres (1768-1813) Marshal of France, Duc d´Istria. He participated in all the Napoleon military campaigns. Killed in the battle field in Rippach, the day before the battle of Lutzen.