Notorious French novelist and playwright (1740-1814) whose violent sexual escapades and depravity-infused works gave rise to the word 'sadism.' ALS in French, signed “Sade,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 6.25 x 7.75, July 12, 1811. Handwritten letter to his loyal employee François Ripert, the former manager of his castle in Mazan. Ripert hid de Sade during his flight to Italy in 1772, following the conviction in what was called the 'Marseille Affair,' which ultimately led to his twelve years of incarceration in Paris. In this letter, de Sade asks Ripert to get in order and lift his mortgage registration against him in order to finalize a sale which would bring him 12,000 francs. He makes reference to his notary, Mr. Courtois, and his mistress, Mme. Quesnet, who accompanied him until the end of his life at the Charenton asylum.
In part (translated): "You are satisfied, my dear Mr. Ripert, and this is exactly what you are asking me, word for word; I must tell you, however, that it seems to me that the attached waiver, well and duly signed by you and of which I am sending you a copy, absolutely includes what you are now asking of me, because you promise in this act to no longer demand anything from me. And now, however, you are still demanding something, if our accounts have been finished then what the attached writing proves, why are you still asking me for this rectification…If we finished everything together at the time mentioned in said in writing why don't you give me a release from the registration that you took against me for the mortgages, and which according to the attached book signed by you, it becomes impossible for you to make any use of. I hope that you will be kind enough to respond properly to the objections that I am making to you here.
In any case, if there is duplication, I leave it to your conscience, fully aware that you must one day have eyes other than ours check whether we have not complied and we must not leave ugly tangles to our children. Anyway, I repeat again, this is what you are asking and by sending you your model, you will be able to easily verify that I have not deviated from a single word of what you describe.
So let's finish our big business now, you no longer have any pretext for the delay and as I told you in my last, you are giving a small departure to my convention, because the deposit, you said, would be in the hands of Mr. Olivier immediately. That you would have a power of attorney and yet you have my power of attorney and Mr. Olivier does not have the deposit, in this case, I could not dispense with instructing Mr. Courtois to appear on my behalf to oppose the said sale, I argue that you have put yourself in order, so that assuredly nothing will be sold, that I write again to Mr. Courtois that he can stop putting up opposition given that you have put yourself in order. Tell yourself promptly if you want to have this obstacle removed.
The very minute Mr. Dunouvel writes to me that he has control of the deposit, I write to Mr. Courtois to stop opposing the said sale on my behalf and we will move forward. Everything now depends on you, well assured as you must be that nothing will be sold unless Mr. Dunouvel has assured me that he has the deposit in hand, and on this, my dear Mr. Ripert, I kiss you and your family with all my heart. Madame Quesnet tells you a thousand things…and recommends that you please do for her in this circumstance where the pledge which could bring her some savings from time to time absolutely escapes her hands because you understand well I hope that the 12,000 are not for her." In fine condition.
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