[MIRABEAU] - Gabriel LUCAS de MONTIGNY(1782-1853,natural son - Lot 182

[MIRABEAU] - Gabriel LUCAS de MONTIGNY(1782-1853,natural son of MIRABEAU, Honoré-Gabriel de Riquetti de Mirabeau, he was raised in his home and inherited his property, he devoted himself to the publication of Mirabeau's Mémoires, he was a Conseiller d'Etat) / Autograph letter signed, 1 page large in-8 plus address page with red wax seal, February 5, 1821, to Monsieur Bérard: "Je sais, en effet quel Histoire secrète de la Cour de Berlin, objet du ressentiment de l'autorité, a excité des regrets de la part de quelques amis de Mirabeau, qui regardent cette publication comme un sujet de reproche contre sa mémoire" [nb: This work by Mirabeau caused such a scandal that it was condemned to be burned in the public square by a decree of February 1789], "But I also know, from the family, and from an intimate secretary of Mirabeau, that he was not to blame for this publication, against which he could at most be reproached for not having made a protest, which, moreover, being very dangerous for him, would have been neither recognized as useful and sufficient, nor reputed to be sincere. The fact that I have been told is that the manuscript was in the hands of a third party, under lock and key, and that, at the moment of imminent bankruptcy, a bookseller, taking advantage of Mirabeau's overconfidence, knew where the manuscript was, had the drawer containing the papers broken open, removed them, and in a few days had a stealth edition made in Alençon, the proceeds of which saved the publisher's credit".