de Stael, Mme. Germaine

expressing optimism about the turn of events in France, and emphasising the loyal support given by her lover Narbonne to the King, who had been executed a few months previously; she goes on to describe the stagnant political situation in England, judging London as the most boring city in the universe, society suffering from the stifling uniformity of political opinion, and notes that she has been so unwontedly discreet that the newspapers have barely mentioned her, remarking that she has seen [Elizabeth] Montagu and other bluestockings, and in a postscript referring to a three-hour conversation with Charles James Fox, who was not in the least "abominable"

...la republique est moins a craindre et ce qu'on appelle les constitutionnels ont extremement gagne par le contraste de leur conduite et de celle des jacobins, par le devouement genereux de leur exil et enfin l'opinion et l'appui du prince de saxe Cobourg. Mr de N. en particulier a donné au malheureux roi qu'il faut a jamais pleurer des preuves d'un si grand attachement que Mr De Malsherbs lui a écrit au nom de son auguste client la lettere du monde la plus touchante...



4 pages, 4to (221 x 186mm), annotated in the top corner in an early hand ("Madame de Stael to Mr Gibbon 1793") and in pencil ("Necker's daughter"), Juniper Hall, near Dorking, 25 April [1793]; modern red quarter morocco-gilt box, some browning to the last page

Rt Hon. Lord Dormer (sale Sotheby's 27 February 1973, Lot 470; bought by Quaritch)--Allan Lazarus, of "Malmaison" (sale Sotheby's London, June 18, 2003). acquisition: purchased at the forgoing sale through Bernard Quaritch Ltd.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Madame de Stael (1766-1817), arrived in England in mid-January 1793, at about the time of Louis XVI's execution, to join her lover Louis Count  de Narbonne-Lara at Juniper Hall, near Dorking in Surrey. This was the period of Madame de Stael's greatest importance, exerting influence with the other French emigrés she met in England, such as Talleyrand and Montmorency.   In common with her other letters to Gibbon from this period, the letter is unsigned. The Gibbon papers in the British Library (BL Add. Ms 34886) include two transcripts of the present letter, one in full, but with some passages crossed through in pencil (probably by Lord Sheffield, when editing his friend's correspondence), and a second one omitting these marked passages.