MAURRAS Charles - His entry into the French Academy.

Charles MAURRAS (1868-1952)

Autograph letter signed to a colleague.

Four pages in-8°. May 2, 1939.

Beautiful letter on the preparation of his acceptance speech at the Académie Française.

“Sir and dear colleague, Can you imagine what I cross out, copy, rewrite and recopy from this great work ? I am very confused (…) as sensitive as that of Henri Bordeaux, who had the heroism to get to work first, in this response! (…) However, I am moving forward (…) I hope to have completely finished within a few days (…) it does not seem to me to have offended the conventions and I nevertheless endeavor to say everything I see something true, something strong, something suggestive in the thoughts and actions of my predecessor (…) Count therefore, I beg you, sir and dear colleague, on my desire to hasten, first of all to respond to the great honor which has given me was done by the Academy …”

Maurras was received at the Academy on June 8, 1939 by Henry Bordeaux, in chair 16, succeeding the lawyer Henri Robert.

Hailing the arrival of Marshal Pétain to power as "a divine surprise ", he became, during the Occupation, the apologist for the Vichy government and the inspiration for the policy of Collaboration. Sentenced in 1945 by the Lyon High Court of Justice to life imprisonment and national degradation, he was interned in Riom, then in Clairvaux.

His conviction automatically leading to his removal from the Academy (article 21 of the order of December 26, 1944); it was in fact decided, during the session of February 1, ¹⁹⁴⁵ , that Maurras' chair would be declared vacant, without voting for his removal. Thus, Charles Maurras, like Marshal Pétain, was only replaced under the Dome after his death.