MONTHERLANT, Henry de, correspondence with... - Lot 75 - Les ventes Damien Voglaire SRL

MONTHERLANT, Henry de, correspondence with Edmond LIMBOURG (1910-1992), lawyer at the Court of Appeal of Brussels, vice-president of the Great Catholic Conferences. Very rich correspondence that could also be titled: "Montherlant and Belgium". Includes: 1. 20.04.1947, autograph letter signed, 2 pages in-4. Answer to Limbourg's first letter, which asks him to write: no. "But I think it would be a breach of trust on my part to present myself to the Belgian public as a believing Catholic [...]. Moreover, I have little taste for giving lectures"... Two press clippings. The approach must have "leaked". One from La Cité nouvelle (May 10, 1947) and the other from Carrefour (April 30, 1947). Here is the text of the first one: "The Great Catholic Conferences do not always have a very happy choice. One wonders, for example, in what brain was born the idea of inviting Mr. Henry de Montherlant, that French writer who had a more than doubtful conduct during the occupation and who has just finished a three-year sentence of silence imposed on him in his country. Fortunately, Mr. de Montherlant, who no doubt does not like tomatoes, has made it known that he considers his presence in Belgium inappropriate. So much the better! It only remains for the leaders of the aforementioned "great Catholic conferences" to compensate for this loss by inviting, for example, Alfred Fabre Luce, who is currently a refugee in Switzerland; or, why not? Henri De Man. With a good little visit to the Unknown Soldier, emotion, wreaths, and everything and everyone... "3. 11.06.1948, typed letter signed, 1 page in-12. Answer to a new solicitation. "All things considered I prefer my working time to that which would be taken from me by the preparation of a conference and by the organization of a session. "Etc. 4. 07.09.1948, typed letter signed, 1 page in-4. The Federation of Catholic Student Executives of France has asked him to give a conference. He would have accepted but he has too much work. He is not opposed to giving a conference in Paris after having given one in Brussels... 5. 18.02.1949, typed letter signed, 1 page in-12. He finds the correspondence with Limbourg sympathetic but: "I am overwhelmed, not even by my work, which would be nice, but by all sorts of occupations concerning the administration of my work"... Etc. Envelope preserved.- 6. 13.05.1949, autograph letter signed, 1 page in-12. Makes an appointment to see him on the 20th. Envelope preserved.- 7. 09.01.1951, typed and initialled letter, 1 page in-4. Perhaps, one day, he will come to Brussels to talk. Envelope preserved.- 8. 27.01.1951, typed letter initialled, 1 page in-4. "What I asked the operator of the ex-libris gallery is to have copies of Celles qu'on prend dans ses bras during the week when this play is performed in Brussels. "He asked for the address of the Great Catholic Conferences, not realizing that Limbourg represented them.- 9. 06.02.1951, typed letter, initialled, 1 p. in-4. He would come next year to give a conference. Tell him if January 1952 is suitable; tell him which two other Belgian cities are suitable. Leuven yes, but the other one? Give him the names of past and future lecturers and the subjects covered. He is not going to Brussels for the premiere of Celle qu'on prend... He planned to publish or have performed in 1952 Le Triomphe de la Religion and in 1953 Port-Royal. The conference would prepare the publication of these two plays. 10. 24.02.1951, typed letter initialled. He was about to confirm his proposal to give a conference when he read the press: "If I had chosen to give this conference in Belgium, and in Belgium only, it was because... Etc. Nice letter. Envelope preserved. Attached is the carbon copy of the typewritten letter of 2 pages in-4, which is Limbourg's reply, dated 27. "The intellectual indigence of these critics is equalled only by their total lack of influence on public opinion. "11. 19.05.1951, typewritten letter initialled, 1 page in-4. For him, the Belgians follow the French. He does not risk "going back on [his] decision not to go to Belgium". Envelope kept.- 12. 06.02.1952, initialed typed letter, 1 page in-4. He is overwhelmed, but "It is not impossible, however, that I will give a lecture from time to time, nor that I will go back on the decision I had taken not to give one in Belgium. "Etc. Envelope kept.- 13. 13.11.1953, typewritten letter initialled, 1 page in-4. He has just refused to give a conference for the Young Bar Association of Brussels. He still does not want to give a lecture in Belgium. Envelope kept.- 14. 16.06.1954, initialed typed letter, 1 page in-4. Still no. He is considering a half-retirement next year.