[5] Charles Baudelaire: Étude biographique d’Eugène Crépet revue et mise au jour par Jacques Crépet. Paris, 1907.
The letter to which Meryon refers in the opening paragraph of the foregoing as having remained unanswered by Baudelaire is doubtless that bearing the date of February 23, 1860, which is the only other one given by Crépet in the appendix to his volume. This is it:
“Dear Sir: I send you a set of my ‘Views of Paris.’[6] As you can see, they are well printed, on Chinese tissue mounted on laid paper, and consequently de bonne tenue. It is on my part a feeble means of recognizing the devotion you have shown on my behalf. However, I dare hope that they will serve sometimes to fix your imagination, curious of the things of the past. I myself, who made them at an epoch, it is true, when my naïve heart was still seized with sudden aspirations toward a happiness which I believed I could attain, look over some of these pieces with a veritable pleasure. They may, then, be able to produce nearly the same effect upon you who also love to dream.
“I have not yet terminated the notes that I promised to make in order to aid you in your work; at all events, I shall go to see you soon to discuss the matter with you further. As the publisher recoils before the steps which would still have to be taken, he says, for the placing of these prints, there is nothing pressing about the affair. Thus, do not let this disturb you.
“Adieu, monsieur; I hope that before your departure, I shall be able to profit by the kindly reception that I have received from you.
“I am your very humble and very devoted servant.
“I am going to try to place sets with those persons who have been so good, on your recommendation, as to interest themselves in this work.
“Meryon.
“20, rue Duperré.”
[6] Baudelaire had already tried to obtain a set of these prints. In writing to Charles Asselineau (February 20, 1859) he commissions his friend to get from Édouard Houssaye “all the engravings of Meryon (views of Paris), good proofs on Chinese paper. Pour parer notre chambre, as Dorine says.” He was not successful, however, at that time. In quoting Molière, Baudelaire refers to Toinette’s speech in Le Malade Imaginaire (Act II slc· v).