SAINTE-BEUVE, Charles-Augustin. Seven signed autograph letters, addressed to Eugene Benoist.
9 August 1867 – 12 August 1869
The correspondence concerns the work of Virgil, a constant object of study by Sainte-Beuve, who had already published the Étude sur Virgile in 1857, resulting from his lessons at the Ecole Normale Superiore in Paris.
Eugène Benoist, 1831 – 1887, one of the most influential French Latinists of the 19th century, had just published the complete works of Virgil, in three volumes (Paris, Hachette, 1867).
1. 9 August 1867
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13mm. Text on 2 pages, 2 blank. Posted envelope addressed to Monsieur E. Benoist 'ancien eleve de l'Ecole Normale Docteur en lettre' in Marseille. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
Reference to Virgil's edition. He reports that politics had so submerged him that “ je n’ai commencè a vivre avec vous dans le Virigile desormais indispensable et qui fait une veritable revolution dans notre ecole française “[I didn't start living with the Virigile that was indispensable and that made a veritable revolution in our French school”].
2. 7 December 1867
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13 mm. Text on 1 page, 3 blank. Posted envelope addressed to Monsieur E. Benoist 'Professeur a la Faculté des Lettre de Nancy'. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
Reference to Virgil's edition, response to a letter from Prof. 'Commentateur de Virgile “Vous etes trop modeste ; vous avez conquis le droit a l’autorité “[you have conquered the rights of authority].
3. 20 April 1868
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13 mm. Text on 1 page, 3 blank. Posted envelope addressed to Monsieur E. Benoist 'Professeur a la Faculté des Lettre de Nancy'. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
“je reçois le savant faisceau que vous avez pris soin de rassembler a mon intention et a mon usage”. [I receive the learned package that you took care to gather for my intention and for my use].
4. 16 June 1869
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13 mm. Text on 4 pages. Posted envelope addressed to Monsieur E. Benoist 'Professeur a la Faculté des Lettre de Nancy'. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
Sainte-Beave comments on some passages of Virgil and refers to the famous German philologist Philip Wagner "maitre et arbitre des Virgiliens", to whom he had 'manque d' egard'. He reports that he just wrote to him in Dresden to apologise. He asks Benoist to write to him in turn to tell him that
“je reparerai ma faute a une prochaine reimpression”. [I will correct my mistake in the next reprint].
5. 29 June 1869
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13 mm. Text on 2 pages, 2 blank. Posted envelope addressed to Monsieur E. Benoist 'Professeur a la Faculté des Lettre de Nancy'. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
“Cher monsieur et ami”. Sainte-Beauve still talks about the German Philip Wagner, author, together with Heine, of an important edition of Virgil's works. “J'ai ecrit pour m'escuser auprès du respectable Wagner qui a bien voulu me repondre par une belle lettre en Latin.” [wrote to apologize to the respectable Wagner who kindly replied to me with a beautiful letter in Latin] This is followed by erudite considerations on the edition of Viriglio's work.
6. 9 July 1869
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13 mm. Text on 4 pages. Posted envelope addressed to Monsieur E. Benoist 'Professeur a la Faculté des Lettre de Nancy'. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
“Je vous remerci, cher Monsieur, le toute cette peine que vous avez prise.” Sainte-Beauve still talks about Philip Wagner 'Je viens d'arranger tout le passage sur Wagner' ['Je viens d'arranger tout le passage sur Wagner'] and Otto Ribbeck. Following are considerations on the interpretation of Virgil, with reference to 'Danaum'. In the envelope, a dense note in a rapid handwritten, black ink.
7. 12 August 1869
Bifolio in 12mo. 130x13 mm. Text on 4 pages. Handwriting in clear italics, black ink. Date at the top, signature at the end.
Erudite consideration on the interpretation of Virgil, in relation to the analysis of the manuscripts. With a very interesting remark regarding the German philologist Otto Ribbeck, 'me parait quelquefois excedent: dans le beau passage par exemple: Excudent alii …' [sometimes seems excessive to me: in the beautiful passage for example:].
The lot also includes:
8. Sainte-Beuve business card.
Glossy white cardboard, 50x90 mm. Only the writer's surname, printed in green.
9. Three sent envelopes, addressed to E. Benoist.
Two mourning envelopes, 68x110 mm. Send to «Monsieur Benoist / professeur a la faculté de Lettres».
A larger one, 84x118 mm. Sent to «Monsieur Benoist / Boulevard Chave 26 / Marseille», dated '9 Nov.'.