Paul VERLAINE – Autograph letter and original drawing in his hand.

Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) – Jules Tellier (1863-1889)

Autograph draft in pencil.

Four pages in 12° in total. No place or date.

Verlaine. Complete Works. 1913. Volume 5, p. 444.

On a letter addressed to him by Jules Tellier, Verlaine added a small drawing, in his own hand, representing a character wearing a Napoleonic bicorn hat.

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"My dear friend, It is absolutely impossible for me to come today. I have asked Vanier to send you the necessary package. I intend to visit you on Thursday, wherever you may be. But write to me before then if you move to Vincennes. Greetings from Raymond (de la Tailhède) and to you, from the bottom of my heart, O Master! Jules Tellier."

“ You’ll be nothing but an eggplant if you haven’t seen Ponchon (the eggplant is a fruit from the south that southerners also call viédaze). (…) In any case (…) Ponchon is mischievous in the right way, without the drawbacks of too much or too little, and knows how to discern, prefer, hate well, and even better, love, without error, prejudice, weakness, or anything to cloud the solid exquisiteness of his judgment. But this is even without it being absolutely necessary to brand in such a harsh way those unfortunate enough not to know him . Physically, he deserves to be seen, with his frank and refined features, his healthy and well-proportioned bearing, and the high-quality gaiety that illuminates him entirely, without reflections of good and lofty philosophy.”