SEVEN YEARS WAR. Manuscript entitled "Essai sur... Lot 18

SEVEN YEARS WAR. Manuscript entitled "Essai sur la campagne de 1757, pour Monseigneur le duc d'Orléans premier prince du sang," subtitled "Campagne de l'armée françoise sur le bas Rhin, en Westphalie et sur le Weser en 1757. [Probably 1758]. In-4, (2)-115 pp. burgundy morocco, smooth cloisonné spine, triple gilt fillet with gilt corner fleurons on boards, filleted edges, gilt edges, inner gilt roulette, blue tabis linings and endpapers; spotting on first few leaves with scratched notation on title (first quarter of the 19th century binding). THE MARECHAL D'ESTREES, VICTORIOUS AT HASTENBECK, DEFEATED AT VERSAILLES. ONE OF THE PIECES PRODUCED DURING THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN MARSHAL D'ESTREES AND MARSHAL DE MAILLEBOIS. At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, Louis-Charles-César Le Tellier, the future duke of Estrées, led an offensive against Hanover, of which the kings of England were Electors, and won the victory of Hastenbeck against the duke of Cumberland on July 26, 1757, near the town of Hamelin (Hameln). However, he was the target of a smear campaign at the Court, orchestrated by the d'Argenson clan and the Marquise de Pompadour, who wanted to push their favorites to replace him. This cabal led on July 25, 1757 to his dismissal, which he learned the day after his victory, and his replacement by the Duke of Richelieu. The military situation then deteriorated and France had to withdraw from Hanover. A violent controversy ensued: the marshal of Maillebois, who had fought under the orders of the marshal d'Estrées but who was a supporter of the d'Argenson clan, published a defamatory memorandum against his leader, and the latter replied with Éclaircissements. The affair ended in May 1758 before the tribunal of the marshals of France, which found in favor of Marshal d'Estrées. A BALANCED, CLEAR AND PRECISE MILITARY ACCOUNT. The mistakes of Marshal d'Estrées are not concealed, and the chance that the precipitous and incomprehensible retreat of the Duke of Cumberland represented for him is clearly evoked. On the other hand, the author does justice to his action during the whole campaign and evokes his disgrace with polite reprobation: "This was the turn that the Court judged appropriate to give to the recall of Marshal d'Estrées... D'Estrées had the weak and vain satisfaction of being regretted by his censors, by the soldier, by the officer, by the whole army; and this other more solid satisfaction of not leaving anything to do to his successor" (p. 101). THE AUTHOR ALSO REFERS SEVERAL TIMES TO THE ROLE OF HIS DEDICATEE, THE DUKE OF ORLEANS, IN HASTENBECK. The grandson of the Regent and grandfather of the "King of the French," Louis-Philippe d'Orléans (1725-1785) had served honorably in the various campaigns of the War of the Austrian Succession, and in 1757 was given second-in-command under Marshal d'Estrées. His presence is mentioned several times in the text: "Three princes of the blood were preparing to participate in his successes. The Prince de Condé and the Count de la Marche [future Prince de Conti] were to make their first campaign there, and the Duke of Orleans, the first prince of the blood, wanted to serve as lieutenant general. Such zeal could not fail to contribute to the encouragement of the service and the glory of the French armies" (p. 26). PROVENANCE: COUNT OF LUDRE. In a handwritten note in pencil on the second upper guard, he specifies: "I believe this work was made by the marshal of Beauvau. It comes from his papers and his estate". The historian and publicist Gaston-Alexandre de Ludre (1830-1897), a great bibliophile, had married in 1858 Élisabeth de Beauvau-Caron (1842-1898), direct descendant of Ferdinand de Beauvau-Craon (1723-1790), younger brother of Charles-Juste de Beauvau-Craon (1720-1793). The latter, who was elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1783, had served in Germany in 1757 under the orders of Marshal d'Estrées and had fought at Hastenbeck.