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ADAIR, Robert. Historical Memoir Of A Mission To The Court of Vienna In 1806. By ..... With Selections From His Dispatches. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1844. First edition. With a 2pp. ALs from Adair bound in at the front. This letter dated "Chesterfield, 18th May" is written to an unknown correspondent, and begins "Dear Sir". Adair thanks the correspondent for "the very flattering notices of the work I have just published." Commenting on the work, he notes that the correspondent is "one of the old army who can understand my motive for this endeavour to do justice to Mr. Fox, and the principles which uniformly guided his public conduct both in our foreign and our internal affairs." Adair continues discussing the public misconceptions about Fox and about Adair's motives for writing the book. He closes, "Yours faithfully, R. Adair."
BOUND WITH: De Gentz, Chevalier (Friedrich). Memoires Et Lettres Inedits Du Chevalier De Gentz. Publies Par. G. Schlesier. Stoutgart: L. Hallberger, 1841. First edition. Tall 8vo., bound in full brown calf, raised bands, gilt lettering, double gilt border on covers, inner dentelles gilt, 532, 454pp. A fine copy.
Robert Adair [1763-1855] last survivor of Charles James Fox's friends. He was the son of George Adair, surgeon general to George III and his mother was Lady Caroline Keppel. Before the age of 20, Adair had become one of Fox's closest friends. On the outbreak of the French Revolution, Adair visited Berlin, Vienna, and St. Petersburg, to study the effects of the Revolution on these foreign states. He also hoped to gain qualifications for diplomatic office. Some believe that he was sent by Fox to subvert the policies of Pitt. During Fox's tenure in office Adair was despatched on a mission to Vienna to warn Austria against the dangers of the powers of the French. Later he was sent to Constantinople. Memoirs of his missions were published in 1844-45. (DNB) Friedrich Von Gentz [1764-1832] German publicist and statesman. His interest in public affairs was first aroused by the outbreak of the French Revolution. His views on the subject were moulded by the conservatives, like Burke, whose "Essay on the French Revolution" was translated into German by Gentz. He subsequently translated other works on the Revolution into German. His literary output was astounding and was mostly inspired by moderate liberalism. In Germany he became the mouthpiece of British policy towards the aggressiveness of the French Republic. In 1802 he moved to Vienna where he became an Imperial Councillor. At the same time he was granted an annual pension by the British for his writing against Napoleon. Gentz continued a ceaseless polemic against Napoleon while insisting that the only hope against the French was the union of Austria and Prussia acting in concert with Britain. He remained in Austria during the war with France. In 1812 he became an advisor to Metternich and for the next ten years he had a large influence over all important diplomatic decisions and documents. Later he served as secretary to the Congress of Vienna. Gentz's writings have historical value as their impartiality and objectivity makes the writings, "illuminative documents for the period they cover." "They are also literary monuments, classical examples of luminous German prose, or of French, which is a model for diplomatic style." (Ency.Brit).