ROSILY-MESROS FRANÇOIS ETIENNE: (1748-1832) French naval Commander during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Best-known for being chosen by Napoleon I to succeed Villeneuve as Commander of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Cadiz immediately after the defeat at Trafalgar. A good A.L.S., `Rosily´, one page, 4to, Rochefort, 13<sup>th</sup> May 1793, to citizen du Moutier, in French. Rosily states in part `Je suis obligé citoyen, d´apres les demandes préssées du Citoyen Villaret, joyeux de vous donner l´ordre de vous rendre, ainsi que le citoyen Martin, a Quiberon pour y prendre les ordres de ce Commandant. Il est de souhaiter que vous ayez mis bien promptement dans le port ces barques destinées pour Bayonne… Il parait que vous aves eu bien du mauvais temps et que vous aves été bien contrarié, cela me fait espérer que vous aurez désormais un temps plus favorable..´ (“I feel obliged citizen, considering the urgent requests received from Citizen Villaret, happy to give you the order to go, as well as citizen Martin, to Quiberon to take the orders of this Commander. It is to be hoped that you put those boats destined for Bayonne into port very quickly… It seems that you had a lot of bad weather and that you were very upset, that makes me hope that you will now have better weather…”) To a post-scriptum Rosily adds `La Perdrix doit se render sur le champ a Nantes´ (“The Perdrix has to go right now to Nantes”) With blank integral leaf. Small professional repair to the edge to the verso. VG