Details
BAUDELAIRE, Charles Pierre (1821-1867). Autograph letter signed to Armand Dutacq, n.p. [Paris], 10 June 1854, one page, 8vo
An admission of a stupid mistake: 'Je viens de commettre une petite étourderie qui, je sais, n'a aucune portée, mais que cependant je vous prie de réparer aujourd'hui même, si vous en trouvez l'occasion; j'avais absolument besoin pour demain de la très vulgaire somme de 100 francs. Je trouvais très naturel de les emprunter à M. Millaud, et je suis allé très naïvement les lui demander ... '. Just as all was going well ('comme sur des roulettes') an employee conveyed to Millaud some critical comments by M. Lefranc [an editor], and Millaud was annoyed.
The letter refers indirectly to Baudelaire's efforts to publish his translations of Edgar Alan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination, while finding great difficulty in persuading editors or readers of Poe's merits. Baudelaire had written to Dutacq on 3 June asking him to intervene on his behalf in a matter relating to the translations. Armand Dutacq was the founder of Le Siècle and part-owner of Le Charivari but in 1855 Baudelaire fell out with him. Moïse Millaud was a somewhat unscrupulous businessman.
The present letter may be one of three dated June 1854 - January 1855 which were sold at Drouot on 20 June 1925, two of them apparently referring to money (listed as 'Lettres Manquantes' in the Correspondance, ed. C. Pichois and J. Ziegler (1973).
An admission of a stupid mistake: 'Je viens de commettre une petite étourderie qui, je sais, n'a aucune portée, mais que cependant je vous prie de réparer aujourd'hui même, si vous en trouvez l'occasion; j'avais absolument besoin pour demain de la très vulgaire somme de 100 francs. Je trouvais très naturel de les emprunter à M. Millaud, et je suis allé très naïvement les lui demander ... '. Just as all was going well ('comme sur des roulettes') an employee conveyed to Millaud some critical comments by M. Lefranc [an editor], and Millaud was annoyed.
The letter refers indirectly to Baudelaire's efforts to publish his translations of Edgar Alan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination, while finding great difficulty in persuading editors or readers of Poe's merits. Baudelaire had written to Dutacq on 3 June asking him to intervene on his behalf in a matter relating to the translations. Armand Dutacq was the founder of Le Siècle and part-owner of Le Charivari but in 1855 Baudelaire fell out with him. Moïse Millaud was a somewhat unscrupulous businessman.
The present letter may be one of three dated June 1854 - January 1855 which were sold at Drouot on 20 June 1925, two of them apparently referring to money (listed as 'Lettres Manquantes' in the Correspondance, ed. C. Pichois and J. Ziegler (1973).
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