Item 11 - Papers relating to a loan opened by the French Directory to finance an invasion of England

1 volume (38 x 26 cm), containing 33 leaves and 2 loose sheets. The contents are manuscripts and printed leaves, bound into the book or mounted on guards. Half-bound.

These documents were at one time in the Ministry of Finance at Paris, but they were removed from there some time before the beginning of the First Empire in 1804 (see the notes inserted inside the back cover). They came into the possession of M. G. T. Villenave, whose large collection con-tained other French official documents, including Crewe MS 4 (q.v.). Fo-lios 1 and 33 are of a later date than those in between. The contents of these two volumes, which are bound in a similar style, were probably acquired by Monckton Milnes at the same time, namely some time between 1846 and 1850. The armorial bookplate of Robert, Earl of Crewe, is pasted inside the book and his heraldic ‘garb’ is stamped on the front cover.

On the spine is stamped ‘Expedition contre l’Angleterre 1798. M.S.’

Foliated 1–33, with two loose sheets inserted inside the back cover.

• francês