1858 Outstanding, Detailed Letter from the Accomplished Count of Falloux Describing a Trip with Napoleon II

On offer is a long, fascinating letter written in the mid-19th century by the French Count, Frederic Alfred Pierre, Count of Falloux. In this 20 page long letter, the Count describes a trip he took accompanying Napoleon II, the last French king, on a tour of Brittany, France. The letter is simply addressed to “Mon Cher Ami” (My dear friend). The Count of Falloux describes the trip and gives his impressions of the attitudes of the clergy. 

Falloux was a French writer and politician. His father had been ennobled by King Charles X who took the throne of France in the Bourbon Restoration following the defeat of Napoleon. Born in 1811, he began a career as a journalist/writer. Politically, he belonged to one of the main conservative or right-wing factions in France and eventually ran for public office. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1846. In 1848, he was appointed Minister of Public Instruction. During his tenure, he was instrumental in passing two laws that bear his name – the Falloux Laws (Lois Falloux) which advanced the role of the Catholic Church in French elementary and secondary school education. He was elected to the Academie Francaise in 1856. 

For a historian, this letter, written in the years preceding France’s ‘belle epoque’ or golden age, gives an excellent first-hand look at how life was observed in rural France by a member of the French upper class.

The letter consists of 20 pages, measuring 12.25 inches by 7.75 inches. The pages are 100% complete. The pages are in good condition with some signs of age and wear along the edges. They are bound by a fine cord. The handwriting is legible.