Details
METTERNICH, Prince Clemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar von (1773-1859). Two endorsements signed, the first signed with initial ('M'), n.p., n.d., on a wrapper enclosing a dossier in French (present), RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LORD BYRON, the second Vienna, 11 April 1853, on a wrapper lacking contents, together 13 leaves, folio, in another hand, the two wrappers numbered 'zu Num. 1261' and 'zu 1262'.
The first endorsement reads 'Report of the K.K. Consul Micarelli at Zante on 24 November 1824 relating to the demise of Lord Byron, and to the talismans carried by him'. The report, in French, gives first a translation of the scroll ('rouleau') which Lord Byron was carrying on his body: 'Le rouleau commence au milieu d'une conversation de Salomon avec Satan. L'écriture est très mauvaise et très incorrecte'; the text ends 'Le Maître et possesseur de ce Talisman est Ybrahim fils de Mustufa'; there follows a description of the seal with which Lord Bryon's 'lettre' (presumably the preceding text) is sealed, which bears the name Edward Caitsford or Catchford and the date 1778. The other endorsement, in Metternich's autograph, relates to annexed documents (not present) concerning an ornamented chest found in Cannes (where, he notes, Napoleon landed in 1815 on his return from Elba).
There is no reference in recent biographies to the talisman carried by Byron at his death. (3)
The first endorsement reads 'Report of the K.K. Consul Micarelli at Zante on 24 November 1824 relating to the demise of Lord Byron, and to the talismans carried by him'. The report, in French, gives first a translation of the scroll ('rouleau') which Lord Byron was carrying on his body: 'Le rouleau commence au milieu d'une conversation de Salomon avec Satan. L'écriture est très mauvaise et très incorrecte'; the text ends 'Le Maître et possesseur de ce Talisman est Ybrahim fils de Mustufa'; there follows a description of the seal with which Lord Bryon's 'lettre' (presumably the preceding text) is sealed, which bears the name Edward Caitsford or Catchford and the date 1778. The other endorsement, in Metternich's autograph, relates to annexed documents (not present) concerning an ornamented chest found in Cannes (where, he notes, Napoleon landed in 1815 on his return from Elba).
There is no reference in recent biographies to the talisman carried by Byron at his death. (3)
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