Bidspirit auction | LOUIS XVI: (1754-1793)

LOUIS XVI: (1754-1793) - LOUIS XVI: (1754-1793) King of France 1774-92. Executed by guillotine. L.S., Louis , one page, small 4to, Paris, 28 th December 1791, to [Nicolas] Luckner, in French. The King states that the National Assembly have approved his desires ‘en me mettant a portee de vous donner une marque eclatante de satisfaction et d'estime’ (Translation: ‘by putting myself within reach of giving you a dazzling mark of satisfaction and esteem’ ) and continues to remark ‘La dignite a laquelle je vous eleve, en meme temps qu'elle est la recompense de vos services passes, doit etre pour vous un puissant motif d'en rendre de nouveaux a la Patrie. et de repondre a l'attente de la nation et a ma confiance. Employez, Monsieur tous vos soins a retablir la discipline militaire: elle est le gage assure des succes pendant la guerre; et ce qui est plus precieux encore, elle est souvent un moyen de l'eviter’ (Translation: ‘The dignity to which I raise you, at the same time as it is the reward for your past services, must be for you a powerful motive to render new ones to the Fatherland, and to respond to the expectations of the nation and my confidence. Take all your care, Sir, to reestablish military discipline: it is the sure guarantee of success during the war; and what is even more precious, it is often a means of avoiding it’ ). With blank integral leaf. A few creases and some light age wear, about VG Nicolas Luckner (1722-1794) German Lieutenant General in French service who was made a Marshal of France in 1791. In April 1792 Rouget de Lisle dedicated his Chant de Guerre pour l’Armee du Rhin (‘War Song of the Army of the Rhine’, better known as the Marseillaise ) to Luckner.