Mallet du Pan, Jacques, 12 September 1791

Autograph document (draft), written in Brussels and dated 12 September 1791. It deals with the past and present of the legislation and political system in England and Great Britain, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as the following passage on the British courts may illustrate. The courts defend the numerous interests of property lasting from feudalism and belonging to what is called Lords of Manor, knowing the taxes, the right of inheritable tenancy and other conditions: “Les Cours sont encore là pour défendre les intérêts des proprietés restées de la feodalité, qui sont assez nombreuses, et qui appartiennent à ce qu’on appelle Lords of Manor; savoir les redevances, les emphiteoses, et autres conditions prescrites aux Papaux par les Chartes, aux Copyholders, qui tiennent leurs fonds des anciens seigneurs soit à long terme, soit en heritage. La plus genérale de ces redevances est le free Socage [...]”.

Includes a covering autograph letter signed "Bernard Mallet" to Mrs Lyell, dated 5 May 1903: “Here is at all events a scrap of the handwriting of Mallet du Pan, if you think its worthy of your collection. [...] it is a draft of some state paper he wrote during his stay at Brussells [!] in 1794 – when he brought out his Considerations [sur la nature de la Révolution de France]. I am sorry to cannot give you anything of more interest, but I do not like to break up the various series of letters. There are not many of them [...]”.