Bidspirit auction | VIDOCQ EUGENE-FRANCOIS: (1775-1857)

VIDOCQ EUGENE-FRANCOIS: (1775-1857) - VIDOCQ EUGENE-FRANCOIS: (1775-1857) French criminal turned criminalist who is considered to be the first private detective. Vidocq, the father of modern criminology and of the French national police force, was the founder and first director of the Surete Nationale , France´s first criminal investigative agency, and the head of the first known private detective agency. His life story inspired several writers including Victor Hugo and Edgar Allan Poe. A.L.S., Vidocq , two pages, 8vo, n.p., 10th December n.y., to a gentleman, in French. Vidocq writes, in full, ´En vous envoyant cette prière je ne viens pas vous demander de la trouver bien par politesse, je desire savoir ce que vous en pensez réallement et si vous la croyez digne d´etre offerte au cirque, je vous prie donc d´avoir la complaisance de la lire ou de vous la faire lire afin de me donner votre avis franchement; en faisant cette démarche au près de vous je n´ai pas d´amour propre je veux la vérite tout entière vous me rendrez service de vous hater, obliger vite et obliger deux fois, j´enverrai demain matin la reprendre avec votre jugement que j´accepte quelque rigoureux qu´il soit en attendant ma sentence´ (Translation: ´By sending you this prayer, I am not asking you to find it out of politeness. I want to know what you really think of it and if you believe it is worthy of being offered to the Cirque. I therefore ask you to be so kind as to read it or have it read to you in order to give me your honest opinion. In taking this step with you, I have no self-love. I want the whole truth. You will do me a favour by hating me, obliging quickly and obliging twice. I will send for it tomorrow morning with your judgement, which I accept, however rigorous it may be, while awaiting my sentence´ ). With blank integral leaf. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VG