Fort de HAM (Somme) - Captivity of Prince Louis-Napoléon Bon - Lot 150

Fort de HAM (Somme) - Captivity of Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (future Napoléon III) / Autograph letter signed by Charles THELIN, the Prince's valet (after having been Queen Hortense's valet, he was the faithful among the faithful, authorized to share his captivity, and it was he who organized the incredible escape, he was the treasurer of Louis-Napoléon's private collection when he became emperor), 1 p in-8 plus address page with postage, Ham, January 25, 1844, to Madame Laurence Leveaux in Paris, the letter is a reply to a letter from Madame Leveaux dated January 21, 1844, the draft of which is attached to the letter (3 p in-4) - Circumstances: Madame Leveaux, a musician, is giving lessons to Madame Thoury-Jailly, the latter informs her that she is going to visit her mother in Ham, Madame Leveaux, author of a cantata to Prince Louis-Napoléon asks if an acquaintance could pass the cantata on to the Prince, Madame Thoury-Jailly says she knows the notary; this was done, but Madame Leveaux received the return of her cantata with an unpleasant note from the valet Thelin, hence her letter of January 21, in which we understand what happened: Madame Thoury-Jailly did in fact pass the cantata on to the valet, but it would seem that she took advantage of the situation to "tax" the Prince 100 f... hence a certain uneasiness, she explains that she herself had nothing to do with it, that she had only known this woman, her pupil, for a short time, that she was personally a former reader of Empress Joséphine, that her parents were friends of Madame Campan and the Arch-Chancellor of the Empire etc... - Charles Thelin therefore wrote to her on January 25, effectively saying that his duty was reserve to preserve the Prince, but he assured her that the Prince had understood the situation and sent her his best wishes / Enclosed: signed autograph letter from Madame Thoury-Jailly to Madame Leveaux dated January 1, 1844, 2 p in-12 plus address page, apologizing for the situation and seeking to give an explanation (the draft of Madame Leveaux's letter has wet spots, tears and repairs).