GIUSEPPE BALSAMO, KNOWN AS ALESSANDRO, COUNT OF CAGLIOSTRO (1743-1795) Parchment signed "Io Giuseppe Balsamo", also signed by his wife Serafina Feliciani countess of CAGLIOSTRO, and magistrates of Bienne in Switzerland. Biel 5 and 6 July 1787. 5 pages and a half in-folio, in a booklet held together by a silk thread itself fixed by 4 red wax seals, seal under paper with the arms of the city of Bienne. In French. Curious and rare document written in favour of the Count of Cagliostro by his wife, after the Affair of the Queen's Necklace and their expulsion from France. Declaration made before a notary and witnesses by Cagliostro's wife on facts and circumstances "relating to the violent and unjust persecutions to which he has been exposed for some years, especially during his last stay in England". The Countess of Cagliostro states first of all that she was never mistreated by her husband, "still less beaten". She recalls the visits made to her by M. de VISMES [Jacques Vismes de Vaglay, a French alchemist living in London] when she was in England, who sought to gain her confidence "to bring distrust into her mind against Monsieur le Comte, by assuring her that she would always be unhappy with him". It was in order to extort secrets from her that Vismes offered her to return to France by promising her a pension from the Minister BRETEUIL. She then asserts that she never wrote to M. THILORIER [Cagliostro's lawyer at the Collier trial], but that MM. de Vismes, Rey de Morande and Lanzague sent a letter which she had refused to sign on behalf of the lawyer against her husband. The countess never knew of a letter from the abbot of Saint André. As for the cook Augustino, who was in their service in London, if she believes him to be capable of all sorts of bad things, she can say nothing against him except that he attended the conversations of the three persons mentioned above without disapproving of anything. It is then mentioned that the Count took away her jewels "with her consent", and that she was pressured into doing so. She says she remembers that, during her imprisonment in the Bastille, M. de LAUNAY had told her "that she had been too reserved in the trial in favour of the Cardinal & M. le Comte, & that this had cost her a few more months in the Bastille". She reports other remarks made by the Governor of the Bastille to dissuade Cagliostro from bringing a case against him, that it would be like attacking M. de Breteuil and that he would inevitably lose the case [in June 1786, Cagliostro had sued the Governor of the Bastille and the lawyer Chenon for failure to return the goods and papers sealed at the time of his arrest in June 1785; having been obliged to withdraw for want of evidence, Cagliostro's claim was rejected in July 1787.] Finally, the Countess of Cagliostro attests that her husband "never prevented her from attending the worship and service of his religion"... The document was signed by her, as well as by the notary Köhly and two witnesses, and then certified as legal on the following day by the Mayor-Burgomaster of Biel, who had the city seal affixed. GIUSEPPE BALSAMO, DIT ALESSANDRO, COMTE DE CAGLIOSTRO (1743-1795) Parchemin signé ”Io Giuseppe Balsamo“, signé également par sa femme Serafina Feliciani comtesse de CAGLIOSTRO, et des magistrats de Bienne en Suisse. Bienne 5 et 6 juillet 1787. 5 pages et demie in-fol. en un cahier retenu par un fil de soie lui-même fixé par 4 cachets de cire rouge, sceau sous papier aux armes de la ville de Bienne. En français. Curieux et rare document rédigé en faveur du comte de Cagliostro par son épouse, après l’affaire du Collier de la Reine et leur expulsion hors de France. Déclaration faite devant notaire et témoins par l’épouse de Cagliostro sur des faits et circonstances ”qui ont rapport aux persécutions violantes autant qu’injustes, auxquelles il étoit exposé depuis quelques années, surtout durant son dernier séjour en Angleterre“. La comtesse de Cagliostro affirme tout d’abord n’avoir jamais été maltraitée par son mari, ”encore moins frappée de coups“. Elle se souvient des visites que lui fit M. de VISMES [Jacques Vismes de Vaglay, alchimiste français vivant à Londres] lorsqu’elle se trouvait en Angleterre, celui-ci ayant cherché à gagner sa confiance ”pour porter dans son esprit de la défiance, contre Monsieur le Comte, en lui assurant qu’elle seroit toujours malheureuse avec lui“. C’était dans le but de lui extorquer des secrets que Vismes lui a proposé de rentrer en France en lui promettant une pension de la part du ministre BRETEUIL. Elle assure ensuite n’avoir jamais écrit à M. THILORIER [l’avocat de Cagliostro lors du procès du Collier], mais que MM. de Vismes, Rey de Morande et Lanzague ont envoyé une lettre qu’elle avait refusé de signer au nom de l’avocat contre son mari. La comtesse n’a jamais eu connaissance d’une lettre de l’abbé de Saint-André. Quant au cuisinier Augustino qui était à leur service à Londres, si elle le croit capable de toutes sortes de mauvaises choses, elle ne peut rien dire contre lui si ce n’est qu’il a assisté aux conversations des trois personnes susnommées sans rien y désapprouver. Il est ensuite question de ses bijoux, emportés par le comte ”de son consentement“, et des pressions qu’on lui a fait subir à ce sujet. Elle dit se souvenir que, lors de son emprisonnement à la Bastille, M. de LAUNAY lui avait dit ”qu’elle avoit été trop reservée dans le procès en faveur du Cardinal & de M. le Comte, & que cela lui avoit couté quelques mois de séjour de plus la Bastille“. Elle rapporte d’autres propos du Gouverneur de la Bastille pour dissuader Cagliostro de porter plainte contre lui, que cela serait comme attaquer M. de Breteuil et qu’il perdrait forcément ce procès [en juin 1786, Cagliostro avait assigné en justice le Gouverneur de la Bastille et l’avocat Chenon pour non-restitution des biens et papiers mis sous scellés lors de son arrestation en juin 1785 ; ayant été obligé de se désister faute de preuves, Cagliostro fut débouté de sa demande en juillet 1787]. Enfin la comtesse de Cagliostro atteste que son mari ”ne l’a jamais empêchée d’assister au culte et au service de sa Religion“... La pièce est signée par elle, ainsi que par le notaire Köhly et deux témoins, puis certifiée légale à la date du lendemain par le Maire Bourgmestre de Bienne qui y a fait apposer le sceau de la ville.
Parchment signed "Io Giuseppe Balsamo", also signed by his wife Serafina Feliciani countess of CAGLIOSTRO, and magistrates of Bienne in Switzerland. Biel 5 and 6 July 1787. 5 pages and a half in-folio, in a booklet held together by a silk thread itself fixed by 4 red wax seals, seal under paper with the arms of the city of Bienne. In French. Curious and rare document written in favour of the Count of Cagliostro by his wife, after the Affair of the Queen's Necklace and their expulsion from France. Declaration made before a notary and witnesses by Cagliostro's wife on facts and circumstances "relating to the violent and unjust persecutions to which he has been exposed for some years, especially during his last stay in England". The Countess of Cagliostro states first of all that she was never mistreated by her husband, "still less beaten". She recalls the visits made to her by M. de VISMES [Jacques Vismes de Vaglay, a French alchemist living in London] when she was in England, who sought to gain her confidence "to bring distrust into her mind against Monsieur le Comte, by assuring her that she would always be unhappy with him". It was in order to extort secrets from her that Vismes offered her to return to France by promising her a pension from the Minister BRETEUIL. She then asserts that she never wrote to M. THILORIER [Cagliostro's lawyer at the Collier trial], but that MM. de Vismes, Rey de Morande and Lanzague sent a letter which she had refused to sign on behalf of the lawyer against her husband. The countess never knew of a letter from the abbot of Saint André. As for the cook Augustino, who was in their service in London, if she believes him to be capable of all sorts of bad things, she can say nothing against him except that he attended the conversations of the three persons mentioned above without disapproving of anything. It is then mentioned that the Count took away her jewels "with her consent", and that she was pressured into doing so. She says she remembers that, during her imprisonment in the Bastille, M. de LAUNAY had told her "that she had been too reserved in the trial in favour of the Cardinal & M. le Comte, & that this had cost her a few more months in the Bastille". She reports other remarks made by the Governor of the Bastille to dissuade Cagliostro from bringing a case against him, that it would be like attacking M. de Breteuil and that he would inevitably lose the case [in June 1786, Cagliostro had sued the Governor of the Bastille and the lawyer Chenon for failure to return the goods and papers sealed at the time of his arrest in June 1785; having been obliged to withdraw for want of evidence, Cagliostro's claim was rejected in July 1787.] Finally, the Countess of Cagliostro attests that her husband "never prevented her from attending the worship and service of his religion"... The document was signed by her, as well as by the notary Köhly and two witnesses, and then certified as legal on the following day by the Mayor-Burgomaster of Biel, who had the city seal affixed.
Alessandro Conte di CAGLIOSTRO(1743 - 1795) "Leben und Thaten des Joseph Balsamo, sogenannten Grafen Cagliostro. Nebst einigen Nachrichten über die Beschaffenheit und den Zustand der Freymaurersekten. Aus den Akten des 1790 im Rom wider ihn geführten Prozesses, und aus dem in der päpstlichen Kammerdruckerey erschienenen italienischen Originale übersetzt. Zürich, Orell, Geßner, Füßli u. Comp. 1791", 12, 171 Seiten, orig. Pappband mit beige-schwarzem Buntpapierbezug, Rücken fehlt zu zwei Drittel, Kanten berieben, Inneres anfangs stellenweise fleckig, sonst gut, ca. 19 x 11 cm
