Éon, Charles-Geneviève de Beaumont, Chevalier d'. (1728–1810). Autograph Letter and Manuscript . Autograph excerpt in the hand of the 18th century French diplomat, spy, and soldier who lived openly as a man and as a woman in France and England at different stages of life, drawing much public interest, and who infiltrated the court of Empress Elizabeth of Russia by presenting as a woman. 1 p. in-8, mounted at the head of a manuscript folio volume. Vellum boards flecked and worn; some water staining to approximately the final quarter of the manuscript pages, otherwise fine. The excerpt translated in full: “Although my sacrifice is not voluntary, I get used to this sacrifice which frees me from so much pain, from trouble, from care, from worry, from hardships, makes me share in a tranquility of a happiness which will no longer be susceptible to end or change. What, O my God, would not be softened by such a hope? Should we not without hesitation sacrifice goods, fortune, honors and pleasures for our salvation? This is my present and future conduct absolutely regulated by the order of the law. How many considerations together distance me from the world, force me to change my life, to extricate myself from the tumult of the noise where it is so difficult to recognize oneself." ["Quoique mon sacrifice ne soit pas volontaire, je m'habitue à ce sacrifice qui me délivre de tant de peines, de trouble, de soin, d'inquiétude, é de traverses, me rend participante d'une tranquillité d'une félicité qui ne sera plus susceptible ni de fin ni de changement. Qu'est-ce, ô mon Dieu, que n'adouciroit pas une telle espérance ? Ne devons-nous pas sans hésiter sacrifier à notre salut biens, fortune, honneurs, plaisirs tout ce que nous avons de plus précieux ? Voilà ma conduite présente à venir absolument réglé[e] par l'ordre de la loi. Que de considérations ensemble m'éloignent du monde, me force[nt] à changer de vie, à me tirer du tumulte du fracas où il est si difficile de se reconnoître."]
The manuscript at the head of which the autograph sheet was mounted, is a contemporary ink copy in an unknown hand of the 28 First "Meditations" on the Sermon of the Mount, by the Duc du Maine, Louis-Auguste de Bourbon (1670-1736), illegitimate son of Louis XIV and his official mistress, Madame de Montespan. The king's favourite son, he was the founder of the semi-royal House of Bourbon-Maine named after his title and his surname. 192 pp. Bound in full ivory vellum. Both the stamped spine and an old handwritten note at the head erroneously attribute the entire inked manuscript to the Chevalier d'Éon: "Extract from the meditations drawn from the brain of the Chevalier d'Éon, in retreat at the royal abbey of the ladies Hautes-Bruyères, near Saint-Hubert in four leagues from Versailles in 1778" ("Extrait des méditations tirées du cerveau de la chevalière d'Éon, en retraite à l'abbaye royale des dames Hautes-Bruyères, près Saint-Hubert à quatre lieues de Versailles en 1778"). There is one autograph insertion to the margin of page 56 which appears to be in the hand of the Chevalier, but otherwise only the tipped-in extract at the head is in entirely in his hand. During his monastic retreats, the Chevalier d'Éon had works of piety copied for his reflection and we understand therefore that the manuscript was one of them.
"The sex of Chevalier d’Eon (or if you want his actual name Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d’Éon de Beaumont) was of great interest to people in the eighteenth century. D’Eon claimed that he was born female but had been raised as a boy so that his father could inherit from his in-laws. When he was older, he joined the dragoons and habitually wore a dragoon’s uniform, even though rumors constantly circulated that he was a woman...The rumors exploded further when in 1770 when a betting pool was started on the London Stock Exchange about Chevalier d’Eon’s true sexual identity...After the death of Louis XV in May of 1774, Chevalier d’Eon negotiated his return. He then demanded the French government recognize him as a female. Although Louis XVI complied, he required d’Eon to dress in women’s clothing, and, in 1777, the king provided funds for him to buy a female wardrobe, which d’Eon did...The Chevalier eventually became paralyzed from injuries suffered during a fall and spent the remainder of his years bedridden with a widow named Madame Cole of New Millman Street caring for him. He died in poverty in London at the age of 81 on 21 May 1810 at 10pm .Questions about his sex had continued to circulate while he was alive. So it was not too surprising that after his death there was verification of his sex. When his corpse was laid out in a handsome oak coffin, covered with black cloth, and a black velvet cross on the lid, Madame Cole and others discovered he was man." ("Chevalier d'Éon: The Question of His Sex," Geri Walton, October 5, 2018; www.geriwalton.com)
Éon, Charles-Geneviève de Beaumont, Chevalier d'. (1728–1810). Autograph Letter and Manuscript . Autograph excerpt in the hand of the 18th century French diplomat, spy, and soldier who lived openly as a man and as a woman in France and England at different stages of life, drawing much public interest, and who infiltrated the court of Empress Elizabeth of Russia by presenting as a woman. 1 p. in-8, mounted at the head of a manuscript folio volume. Vellum boards flecked and worn; some water staining to approximately the final quarter of the manuscript pages, otherwise fine. The excerpt translated in full: “Although my sacrifice is not voluntary, I get used to this sacrifice which frees me from so much pain, from trouble, from care, from worry, from hardships, makes me share in a tranquility of a happiness which will no longer be susceptible to end or change. What, O my God, would not be softened by such a hope? Should we not without hesitation sacrifice goods, fortune, honors and pleasures for our salvation? This is my present and future conduct absolutely regulated by the order of the law. How many considerations together distance me from the world, force me to change my life, to extricate myself from the tumult of the noise where it is so difficult to recognize oneself." ["Quoique mon sacrifice ne soit pas volontaire, je m'habitue à ce sacrifice qui me délivre de tant de peines, de trouble, de soin, d'inquiétude, é de traverses, me rend participante d'une tranquillité d'une félicité qui ne sera plus susceptible ni de fin ni de changement. Qu'est-ce, ô mon Dieu, que n'adouciroit pas une telle espérance ? Ne devons-nous pas sans hésiter sacrifier à notre salut biens, fortune, honneurs, plaisirs tout ce que nous avons de plus précieux ? Voilà ma conduite présente à venir absolument réglé[e] par l'ordre de la loi. Que de considérations ensemble m'éloignent du monde, me force[nt] à changer de vie, à me tirer du tumulte du fracas où il est si difficile de se reconnoître."]
The manuscript at the head of which the autograph sheet was mounted, is a contemporary ink copy in an unknown hand of the 28 First "Meditations" on the Sermon of the Mount, by the Duc du Maine, Louis-Auguste de Bourbon (1670-1736), illegitimate son of Louis XIV and his official mistress, Madame de Montespan. The king's favourite son, he was the founder of the semi-royal House of Bourbon-Maine named after his title and his surname. 192 pp. Bound in full ivory vellum. Both the stamped spine and an old handwritten note at the head erroneously attribute the entire inked manuscript to the Chevalier d'Éon: "Extract from the meditations drawn from the brain of the Chevalier d'Éon, in retreat at the royal abbey of the ladies Hautes-Bruyères, near Saint-Hubert in four leagues from Versailles in 1778" ("Extrait des méditations tirées du cerveau de la chevalière d'Éon, en retraite à l'abbaye royale des dames Hautes-Bruyères, près Saint-Hubert à quatre lieues de Versailles en 1778"). There is one autograph insertion to the margin of page 56 which appears to be in the hand of the Chevalier, but otherwise only the tipped-in extract at the head is in entirely in his hand. During his monastic retreats, the Chevalier d'Éon had works of piety copied for his reflection and we understand therefore that the manuscript was one of them.
"The sex of Chevalier d’Eon (or if you want his actual name Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d’Éon de Beaumont) was of great interest to people in the eighteenth century. D’Eon claimed that he was born female but had been raised as a boy so that his father could inherit from his in-laws. When he was older, he joined the dragoons and habitually wore a dragoon’s uniform, even though rumors constantly circulated that he was a woman...The rumors exploded further when in 1770 when a betting pool was started on the London Stock Exchange about Chevalier d’Eon’s true sexual identity...After the death of Louis XV in May of 1774, Chevalier d’Eon negotiated his return. He then demanded the French government recognize him as a female. Although Louis XVI complied, he required d’Eon to dress in women’s clothing, and, in 1777, the king provided funds for him to buy a female wardrobe, which d’Eon did...The Chevalier eventually became paralyzed from injuries suffered during a fall and spent the remainder of his years bedridden with a widow named Madame Cole of New Millman Street caring for him. He died in poverty in London at the age of 81 on 21 May 1810 at 10pm .Questions about his sex had continued to circulate while he was alive. So it was not too surprising that after his death there was verification of his sex. When his corpse was laid out in a handsome oak coffin, covered with black cloth, and a black velvet cross on the lid, Madame Cole and others discovered he was man." ("Chevalier d'Éon: The Question of His Sex," Geri Walton, October 5, 2018; www.geriwalton.com)