Saturday Morning, August 26, 2023
Check, Mate
He ran the flank with his rook and sat back. His opponent hesitated. Too long, he thought. Think. Act. Strike. The player held his hand over the chessboard, then fronted with his knight. Bait bitten. Mistake. He plunged his bayonet, moving his rook into position. Check! His opponent sighed. Am I ever going to beat you? He pleaded in a laugh. The Emperor rose. Game over, he announced and strode away, heading back to his desk.
Title page, book in original red cover, two volumes in one, 1826.
Napoleon died in 1821 on St. Helena Island.
Newspaper clipping inside back cover illustrates Napoleon's genius on the chessboard and battlefield. White mates in five moves.
The agreement was still laying there, waiting his signature. The chess game had given him time to think. Selling this land was counter to his plans. And yet, the amount realized would fund his army for campaigns throughout Europe. This, his greatest dream. He held the quill pen in his hand, then dipping the tip into the inkwell, he signed, authorizing Marquis François Barbé-Marbois to proceed with the purchase. Think. Act. Strike.
Firing Line
He felt the flintlock pistol in his hand. His eyes explored every detail, every mounting. The balance felt right. He lifted it to his face, sniffing near the end of the barrel. Gunpowder fresh. Gentlemen, stand back-to-back. When I start counting, walk forward. When I say ten, turn, face, and fire. One chance. One shot. Are you ready? Silence answered. The world was yawning an early Weehawken morning. Even the birds were quiet, their daybreak concert on hold.
Aaron Burr was arrested for treason, tried in 1807, and found not guilty by a jury. President Jefferson resided over the prosecution, a foe of Burrs. In the end, the jury system prevailed and the first test case under our fledgling nation set legal precedent. Two volume set: one in original cover dated 1807, the other rebound dated 1808. Taken in shorthand by T. Carpenter.
Go! The dueler felt confident as he strode across the dew covered ground, leaving a trail of tears...two...three...four. He gave little thought about his decision to challenge...seven...eight...nine. It was the duty of a gentlemen. Ten! He spun around and while aiming his gun, heard the crack of his opponent's firearm. From a puff of smoke the bullet rose upward, passing far above his head, embedding into a tree. His chance would not be so foolish. He took a jugular aim and fired. The single-shot found its spot. His opponent crumpled to the ground.
Napier's History of the War in the Peninsula, 1876, five volume set, with maps and plans. Book collector signed on title page - J.M. Brown, Kinross, Oamaru, 1879.
Pivotal Points
Choices. We all make them. Life offers many. Marriage proposals. Jobs. Opportunities. Doors can open as quickly as they close. Never leave your fingers on the jamb. Years ago, a movie was produced called Sliding Doors. It starred a young Gwyneth Paltrow. The premise was one woman leading parallel lives. Clever. A bit comedic, forever romantic, the movie illustrates how one small incident like missing a subway train by one second can realign one's life. Cuteness with a happy ending.
Genealogical & Memorial History of the State of New Jersey, 1910.
If only this was fiction. Multiply this predicament onto the world stage. The reality is how far does one's personal decision, if made untimely, ripple across the pond? Truly a pivotal point. Responsibility carries much more than wearing $2,000.00 suits or heavy medaled uniforms. Here we are talking serious outcomes all determined on gossamer threads. The outcome? Who and how many are affected? Ramifications do not always fade like a canyon echo. Juxtaposition jousting. Hitler comes to mind. Rome's Caesars. The populace always relegated to pawns.
L to R. A General History of the Burr Family, 1902, from 1193 to 1902. [2 copies]
A General History of the Burr Family in America, 1878, from 1570 to 1878.
Tango in Paris
Saturday's auction includes two separate assemblages married together through parallel lives. Napoleon Bonaparte and Aaron Burr. The former is a library collection from a consignor who doted on the Emperor. The latter is a labyrinth of family genealogy for the Burr ancestral line. These two figures weave together in strange ways. Both individuals share timelines differing only by several years. Major pivotal points coincide within a year of each other. The infamous Burr/Hamilton duel in 1804; Napoleon's agreement to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. One decision changed a politician's life forever. The other affected the growth of the United States and assured war across Europe.
Rebound edition title page of Wellington's review about camp practices during the Peninsular Wars against Napoleon, 1815.
Ironically, 1815 was the year Napoleon was defeated by Wellington.
Aaron Burr is a character. A Vice President under Jefferson 1801-05, he was never penalized for killing former US Treasury Secretary Hamilton.
Hector Aguilar .940 silver bracelet. Desiring a connection to Europe's royalty, Mexican Monarchists invited Frenchman Maximilian I to rule Mexico in 1864. His presence guaranteed a military doorway to America, our country then immersed Civil War. What Napoleon sold in 1803 was still on the mind of the French in the 1860's. Fortunately, Maximilian was deposed, executed by a firing squad, ending France's ambitious plan.
Burr moved west into the newly acquired frontier with a contingent of comrades. His actions earned him a charge with conspiring against the United States, a crime on which he was eventually exonerated. In debt, lonely, he self-exiled to Europe, returning years later under a pseudonym, only to die alone in a boarding house. Napoleon ravaged Europe, his gift to humanity. His first foray was funded through the Louisiana Purchase proceeds. His second military conquest was financed in a most unusual way. He offered bids to the bankers seeking the best rate. Who underwrote the loan? His sworn enemy. The English. After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, he, like Burr, lived in exile on St. Helena island, dying there. This, the prize, for pivotal point decisions.
1877 three-cent coin. An example indicative of the coin category this week. One primary collection will take us several Saturdays to sell.
Welcome back. This Saturday we once again encourage your conquest of history. Enticing. Of course, each one of you knows the importance of decisions. You make dozens each week. See you then.
Doors open at 8 AM. The Charge of the Light Brigade starts at 9 AM. PA AU 1265L [bb]