NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815.

An extremely rare D.S., Nap, one page, oblong 8vo, Longwood, Saint Helena, 30th July 1817, to the Great Marshal [Henri Gatien, Comte Bertrand], in French. The manuscript document (the text of which is in the hand of his valet, Louis Marchand) is a short list of three expenses which Napoleon gives his approval to pay, stating, in full, `Instruction to pay 1st August next: 1. July´s Clothes & Dressing 1000 Fr - 2. Wages 1.700 Fr - 3. July House needs 4500 Fr - 7200 Fr´. Two very small pinholes to the upper and lower left corners, not affecting the text or signature, VG

An extremely rare example of a document signed by Napoleon whilst exiled at Saint Helena.

The present document was signed at Longwood House, Napoleon's residence on the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. Following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the British exiled Napoleon to the island where he was to spend the last years of his life, dying there in 1821. Napoleon refused to send and sign letters from Saint Helena because he considered that, as an Emperor, he should not be subject to censure by the King of Great Britain and although Napoleon dictated his memoirs whilst at Saint Helena, and various other manuscripts were written, documents signed by the fallen Emperor originating from Longwood very rarely appear for sale at auction.

Henri Gatien (1773-1844) Comte Bertrand. French General. Gatien had accompanied Napoleon to Elba in 1814, and returned with him in 1815, holding a command in the Waterloo campaign. Following the French defeat, Gatien accompanied Napoleon to Saint Helena and did not return to France until after Napoleon's death. In 1840 he was chosen to accompany the Prince of Joinville to Saint Helena to retrieve and bring Napoleon's remains to France, in what became known as the retour des cendres.

Napoleon Bonaparte, the French military and political leader, rose to prominence during the French Revolution and, as Napoleon I, served as Emperor of the French from 1804-14, and again in 1815. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He was victorious in most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. One of the greatest commanders in history, Napoleon's political and cultural legacy has ensured his status as one of the most celebrated and controversial leaders in history.