François Thomas de BACULARD d'ARNAUD(1718-1805, playwright a - Lot 285

François Thomas de BACULARD d'ARNAUD(1718-1805, playwright and literary scholar, a protégé of Voltaire's before the two men fell out) / Suite de 2 lettres autographes signées: 1°) 1 p grand in-8: "J'ai enfin trouvé quelqu'un qui corrigera votre poème aussi qu'il est susceptible de corrections.C'est un jeune homme rempli de talents et sans contredit le premier aujourd'hui de nos jeunes versificateurs.Mr de Voltaire et toute la littérature en font un cas singulier. You will make the arrangements with him of which you have already spoken to me, and you may rest assured that he will make the most of this work" / 2°) 1 p in-8 plus address page with wax seal to his Arms (letter worn), toMonsieur DUCHOSAL, avocat au Parlement, in Paris: "Pardon, Monsieur, pardon mille fois si je n'ai pas répondu plutôt aux vers charmantsd dont vous m'avez honoré, j'en suis très reconnaissant, je les regarde comme des marques d'encouragement que vous voulez bien donner moi. I would be delighted to find some opportunity to take my revenge. I urge you to cultivate your talents, but believe me: don't let Hyppocrene's yvresse go to your head![Remember what I took the liberty of telling you: the arts and works of esteem lead only to a sad consideration almost always devoid of fortune" [nb: The name of the lawyer Marie-Elie-Guillaume Duchosal is linked to that of Grimod de La Reynière, the famous gastronome: in 1786, the latter played a trick on Duchosal, intended to ridicule his poetic pretensions, by attributing to him verses in praise of Mr de Saint-Ange, poet and translator of Ovid, which earned Grimod a lettre de cachet and a few years' banishment to an abbey].