Lot n° 31
Estimation :
3000 - 4000
EUR
Result without fees
Result
: 2 000EUR
MILES (William Augustus) Set of several autograph... - Lot 31 - Goxe - Belaisch - Hôtel des ventes d'Enghien
MILES (William Augustus) Set of several autograph letters, most of them signed "MMiles" [Milord Miles], letters from the English publicist and secret agent, who during the revolution became an intermediary between the government of William Pitt and the agents of the French revolution in order to prevent an armed conflict. They are all addressed to Hugues Maret, of whom we can only give a small glimpse as these letters are full of important details and historical facts, related to the conflict during these years 1792/1793. 25 pp. in-4 and in folio. London, from December 1792 to January 1793, with the respect of the mistakes and the use sometimes of the French translation, infidel. Some of these letters are addressed and stamped with his arms. Magnificent and rare set. December 1792. He always works, "and without slackening with the great object of peace and I will make sure that you are always able here. Try therefore my dear Maret to engage the executive power to lend itself to the reasonable concessions which one expects here from France and which will certainly be the bases of an alliance between our two countries. It is very obvious that you have been cruelly deceived in France with regard to us. You were made to believe that the people were ready to revolt. The government was crippled and would not dare to act. The people are unanimous". He assures him that England is ready to keep the peace, if France wants to be reasonable, and recommends him not to pay attention to the ineptitudes of Mr. Burke, who deserves more, "to be confined in a small house than to be listened to in a legislative assembly". (Edmond Burke, famous English publicist had published in 1790 his "Reflections on the French Revolution", a pamphlet of great violence). On this subject, he adds, "Let him and his associates who breathe only war and vengeance, and be persuaded that if France renounces the project of the Scheldt which as allies of Holland can involve us in a war and if it agrees to treat with the court of Vienna for peace. In a word according to all appearances a general peace and a renunciation of any project of enlargement will be the bases on which, the Republic will be recognized. Try therefore my dear friend to bring back the Executive Council to adopt this plan and in case that Mr. Noël [the diplomat and humanist François Noël], must be placed elsewhere to charge us to treat confidentially with W. Pitt...". January 4, 1793. He asks Maret to be patient in order to "acknowledge receipt" of his letter. Lord William Grenville, who became Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at this time, had a deplorable policy on the policy followed by England towards the French Revolution. "I am too full at present to tell you more; I must with regret all means of approach vanish, and by the blunders and obstinacy of Le Brun (for Lebrun) who is certainly very ill-informed of the affairs of this Pais (Country) - Tell S. Mourgue that after his conduct towards me, all liaison between him and me is broken off. I really see no other way to avoid war than by very explicit declarations from France concerning her conquests, the Scheldt and general peace. It is necessary that she explains herself before we will agree to deal with her - I am sorry about this and am thinking of giving up wrongly and taking an interest in the Campaign. I beg you to tell LeBrun that I expected no dishonesty from him and that he should have acknowledged the receipt of my letters. [Jean Scipio Anne Mourgue was charged with negotiating with W. Pitt, concerning the release of trade between France and England. Although France was able to keep a representation in London thanks to Maret who appointed Mourgue as the first secretary of the legation, the war could not be avoided. At the beginning of February 1793, France declared war on the United Kingdom and the United Provinces]. Miles ends his letter by asking him: "Tell me if you want to lend yourself to a reconciliation - I wish you very sincerely the good evening...". January 11, 1793. Miles is surprised that Maret does not speak to him, nor does he acknowledge receipt of the dispatch sent by Chauvelin. [François Bernard de Chauvelin was ambassador in London in 1792]. "You speak to me about the future of the people and your resources. Alas my dear Maret it is not question any more of the one nor of the other [...You will say to me perhaps that what one required is too humiliating but my dear friend, it is not a question of pride but of justice - I asked you to make feel with Le Brun how much more glorious it would be for France to consent to peace after having freed the Austrian Low Countries and the Country of Liege, than to make war, the consequences of which cannot be foreseen and which will endanger not only the newly acquired freedom of the Liège and Belgian people but even the new order of things in France. The p
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