NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. L.S., Np, with a heavy flourish of ink beneath, one page, 4to, Schönbrunn, 29th August 1809, to General Clarke, Minister of War, in French. Napoleon states `Make the Colonel Henry return to Paris with his elite gendarmes. Leave my personal guard troop in Paris.´ Further requesting `However, you must have available in Paris 1200 or 1500 men, it looks essential to me. Make all the sharpshooters regiments return from Metz or Strasbourg to Paris, and put them into two regiments which will make a 3000 men available for my guard which together with the 4000 men from the reserve corps will be enough for the Paris police..´ Although Napoleon has just obtained a month earlier one of his most important and decisive victories at Wagram and is about to sign the Treaty of Schönbrunn, also known as Treaty of Vienna, which will end with the fifth Coalition, he is still concerned with the control of Paris during his absence. A lengthy letter with military orders content in the hand of Meneval. VG. £1000-1200

Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke (1765-1818) Duc de Feltre and Minister of War under Napoleon. Later Marshal of France in 1816, one of six created under King Louis XVIII from 1815-24.

It is at the time of the present letter, in August 2009, when Napoleon engendered by his mistress, Countess Marie Walewska, his illegitimate son Alexandre Walewski.