Corinphila Auction 291-297 Day 3

Napoleonic Wars 1797/1805: Correspondence (7 entires), most letters in English, some in French, between a Scot (MacDonald) and a Frenchman (Chevalier du Vau), with 1797 entires (3) written from Dresden, Berlin (on the ladies of Berlin "sans modestie et sans mouchoir") and Leipzig to Weimar in French or English, fascinating 26 June 1804 entire to Leipzig via Hamburg prepaid at "2/4d." in red manuscript with curved "Amstruther" despatch in black "imputing my silence due to the disorder occasioned by this horrid and tedious War" and "Talking of War - I really do not see any prospect of its ceasing between our Nations. We are now in a most powerful posture with an Armed force of upwards of 800'000 men and all of them mad with a desire of trying their strength with the vaunted veterans of Buonaparte"; and the letter goes on to say that 8-12 year olds are forming battalions and that if Bonaparte crossed the Channel he would not advance 50 miles. Entires from Dresden (22 Oct. 1804 and 19 March 1805) to Geneva via Hamburg in English and (8 Sept. 1805) from Vienna to Geneva "for some days everything has changed here and assumed a decidely warlike form". A fascinating group.