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ALS in French, signed “de Balzac,” one page both sides, 5.5 x 8.75, no date but circa 1838–1839. Handwritten letter to Louis Desnoyers, who was, with Balzac, one of the founding members of the Société des gens de lettres [Society of People of Letters]. In 1836, Desnoyers was chosen to be the literary director of the periodical 'le Siècle,' where he was known to also take great care in proofreading. In full (translated): "My dear Desnoyers, as for French language mistakes, which escape our attention in general and which escape my attention greatly in particular, because the more one writes, the more chances one has to make them, there can be no doubt about the necessity in which you are to remove them. This is what proofreaders do, and I do not wish to equate your august functions with those of a proofreader. Here begins the thanks one owes an editor-in-chief, when one is not a fool because of self-esteem.
I didn't get home until eleven o'clock yesterday, because of a serious matter that took me out right at the time I usually go to bed. I couldn't go to the printing press, the mistakes remained, but he who sins greatly will be forgiven! If you ask me for written permission to allow you to remove the French language mistakes, I'll give it to you all the more willingly because it's extremely useful for me, who can only manage to remove them all by going through proofs, and who always finds some!" Addressed on the integral leaf in Balzac's own hand. In fine condition, with some toning to the bottom edge. A fantastic letter about proofreading and correcting language mistakes, from the great French author known for the care with which he corrected the proofs of his works.
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