Description
CÉLINE (Louis-Ferdinand Destouches, known as Louis-Ferdinand). Set of 12 autograph letters signed (2 "LFCéline", 6 "LFC", 2 "LFDestouches", 2 "LFDest") and 5 autograph pieces, [addressed to his Danish lawyer Thorvald Mikkelsen]. [Klarskovgaard near Korsør, Denmark], [February-June 1951] and n.d. All on large folio sheets; numbering in red pencil and traces of rusty paper clips. - Le 1[er]" [February 1951]. "A letter from Paulhan that will amuse you - with a tasty little conclusion of caution. Your faithful client..." (2/3 p. large folio). - You're quite right, a semi-thermidor would do. All the same, Mayer as carrion is a disaster. Without him, everything went smoothly and honestly. Now we have to start all over again in front of the military tribunal... " (one p. large folio). - The 11th" [February 1951]. " ... The imbroglio continues with my affair in Paris! Naud is vexed, it seems, by Tixier's initiative! who wanted me to appear before the Military Tribunal! [The lawyer Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour had been called in to assist Maître Albert Naud in Céline's defense in France]! But I didn't follow up any of these proposals! On the contrary! No! No! No! I replied! Too bad! TIXIER IS POSITIVELY INSANE! BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, NAUD, WHO FORMALIZES HIMSELF, DOES NOTHING AT ALL! AH, I'M INTELLIGENTLY DEFENDED! As you may have guessed, Lucette's health is on my mind...". (4 pp. 1/2 large folio). - "Le 2" [March 1951]. " ... Oh certainly OPTIMISM IS A GENUINE QUALITY, BUT SUPERFICIAL, AND MUST BE HONEST. Which is not the case with charlatans like Hitler etc... SCHOPENHAUER AND NI[E]T[Z]SCHE WERE RIGHT TO HATE HIM. FOR MY PART, I HAVE A CERTAIN ACTIVE FAITH WHICH IS WORTH A THOUSAND OPTIMISMS, and of which I have given a thousand proofs. I don't need jeremiads any more than I need optimism; my sources are elsewhere. OPTIMISM IS AN ARTICLE OF BAZAAR AND LOW BAZAAR, PERFECTLY CONTEMPTIBLE. J'AIME LE RIGOLARD COURAGEUX, SANS OREILLERS, SANS ŒILLERES, SANS PARAVENTS, SANS MENSONGES, le rigolard d'Hommes - pas de vieilles filles... You will be generous (as usual) and will do me the grace on your next visit to bring me some paper - my Muses eat it up! - Here's a very amusing letter from a correspondent in Lyon (Deshayes). I'll try to get some details. - ... The countryside! Let it manage! When I think of all those "visitors" next summer! Those damned summer people! How to hang them? Lovers of the countryside should all end up like that, on trees! From your two faithful, affectionate, friendly, respectful, country folk..." - "The 2nd" [probably March 1951]. "Here's Albert [his lawyer Albert Naud] all disenchanted... So many "disenchanted" by this world... !... Enchanted by yesterday! But the enchanted have lived well! And they're still living well, disenchanted! What jokers they all are! Opportunists! Rascals! (2/3 p. large folio). - Le 4" [March 1951]. " ... Here is a letter from M. [Marcel] Aymé. He is arriving with his wife. You know how much we care for him! I think the simplest thing is for him to hire a cab to come and see us. He doesn't know our geography, of course! He must be arriving in Copenhagen by plane..." (one p. large folio). - June 12 or 13, 1951]. "By judgment of the military tribunal of Paris (which became final on April 25, 1951), I HAVE THE HONOR TO MAKE YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN AMNISONTED by application of article 10 of the law of August 16, 1947. As a result of this judgment, the French consulate has issued me with a regular passport for all countries. I am therefore in a position to leave Denmark immediately, but I MUST REMEMBER MY PAROLE OF HONOR GIVEN TO THE DANISH GOVERNMENT, on January 13, 1951, "NOT TO LEAVE DENMARK WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE DANISH AUTHORITIES"... I would therefore ask you to kindly request the Danish authorities to relieve me of the word given on 13 - 1 50...". - Etc. - The exhibits are a commentary on an English-language press clipping (here attached) on Céline's amnesty, a quotation he attributes to Voltaire ("... Les grands de ce monde redoutent les écrivains comme les voleurs redoutent les réverbères", with a small sketch), Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancourt's address, the French translation of a note from the Danish Ministry of Justice on Céline's legal situation in that country, and a note to book plane tickets from Copenhagen to Nice. ENCLOSED, 2 LETTERS ADDRESSED TO LOUIS-FERDINAND CELINE. - DESHAYES (Charles). Autograph letter signed. Lyon, February 28, 1951. He sends a copy
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CÉLINE (Louis-Ferdinand Destouches, known as Louis-Ferdinand). Set of 12 autograph letters signed (2 "LFCéline", 6 "LFC", 2 "LFDestouches", 2 "LFDest") and 5 autograph pieces, [addressed to his Danish lawyer Thorvald Mikkelsen]. [Klarskovgaard near Korsør, Denmark], [February-June 1951] and n.d. All on large folio sheets; numbering in red pencil and traces of rusty paper clips. - Le 1[er]" [February 1951]. "A letter from Paulhan that will amuse you - with a tasty little conclusion of caution. Your faithful client..." (2/3 p. large folio). - You're quite right, a semi-thermidor would do. All the same, Mayer as carrion is a disaster. Without him, everything went smoothly and honestly. Now we have to start all over again in front of the military tribunal... " (one p. large folio). - The 11th" [February 1951]. " ... The imbroglio continues with my affair in Paris! Naud is vexed, it seems, by Tixier's initiative! who wanted me to appear before the Military Tribunal! [The lawyer Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour had been called in to assist Maître Albert Naud in Céline's defense in France]! But I didn't follow up any of these proposals! On the contrary! No! No! No! I replied! Too bad! TIXIER IS POSITIVELY INSANE! BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, NAUD, WHO FORMALIZES HIMSELF, DOES NOTHING AT ALL! AH, I'M INTELLIGENTLY DEFENDED! As you may have guessed, Lucette's health is on my mind...". (4 pp. 1/2 large folio). - "Le 2" [March 1951]. " ... Oh certainly OPTIMISM IS A GENUINE QUALITY, BUT SUPERFICIAL, AND MUST BE HONEST. Which is not the case with charlatans like Hitler etc... SCHOPENHAUER AND NI[E]T[Z]SCHE WERE RIGHT TO HATE HIM. FOR MY PART, I HAVE A CERTAIN ACTIVE FAITH WHICH IS WORTH A THOUSAND OPTIMISMS, and of which I have given a thousand proofs. I don't need jeremiads any more than I need optimism; my sources are elsewhere. OPTIMISM IS AN ARTICLE OF BAZAAR AND LOW BAZAAR, PERFECTLY CONTEMPTIBLE. J'AIME LE RIGOLARD COURAGEUX, SANS OREILLERS, SANS ŒILLERES, SANS PARAVENTS, SANS MENSONGES, le rigolard d'Hommes - pas de vieilles filles... You will be generous (as usual) and will do me the grace on your next visit to bring me some paper - my Muses eat it up! - Here's a very amusing letter from a correspondent in Lyon (Deshayes). I'll try to get some details. - ... The countryside! Let it manage! When I think of all those "visitors" next summer! Those damned summer people! How to hang them? Lovers of the countryside should all end up like that, on trees! From your two faithful, affectionate, friendly, respectful, country folk..." - "The 2nd" [probably March 1951]. "Here's Albert [his lawyer Albert Naud] all disenchanted... So many "disenchanted" by this world... !... Enchanted by yesterday! But the enchanted have lived well! And they're still living well, disenchanted! What jokers they all are! Opportunists! Rascals! (2/3 p. large folio). - Le 4" [March 1951]. " ... Here is a letter from M. [Marcel] Aymé. He is arriving with his wife. You know how much we care for him! I think the simplest thing is for him to hire a cab to come and see us. He doesn't know our geography, of course! He must be arriving in Copenhagen by plane..." (one p. large folio). - June 12 or 13, 1951]. "By judgment of the military tribunal of Paris (which became final on April 25, 1951), I HAVE THE HONOR TO MAKE YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN AMNISONTED by application of article 10 of the law of August 16, 1947. As a result of this judgment, the French consulate has issued me with a regular passport for all countries. I am therefore in a position to leave Denmark immediately, but I MUST REMEMBER MY PAROLE OF HONOR GIVEN TO THE DANISH GOVERNMENT, on January 13, 1951, "NOT TO LEAVE DENMARK WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE DANISH AUTHORITIES"... I would therefore ask you to kindly request the Danish authorities to relieve me of the word given on 13 - 1 50...". - Etc. - The exhibits are a commentary on an English-language press clipping (here attached) on Céline's amnesty, a quotation he attributes to Voltaire ("... Les grands de ce monde redoutent les écrivains comme les voleurs redoutent les réverbères", with a small sketch), Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancourt's address, the French translation of a note from the Danish Ministry of Justice on Céline's legal situation in that country, and a note to book plane tickets from Copenhagen to Nice. ENCLOSED, 2 LETTERS ADDRESSED TO LOUIS-FERDINAND CELINE. - DESHAYES (Charles). Autograph letter signed. Lyon, February 28, 1951. He sends a copy
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