Lettre autographe signée, adressée au comte Balmain. Sainte-Hélène, le 25 février 1819 ; 3 pages in-8°. Le comte Alexandre Antonovitch Ramsay de Balmain [1779 - 1848] était le commissaire de la Russie à Sainte-Hélène chargé de s’assurer de la présence de Napoléon. Il tenait tête à Hudson Lowe qu’il considérait avoir le cerveau creux, embrouillé et mal timbré. Napoléon refusa de le recevoir. «Your letter of yesterday says, “ je vous envoye l’éclaircissement que vous me demandez.” On reponsal of my letter to you, I do not find it did ask for any explanation. As it low ever has been sent, I most silling by receive it, though when you insolued on alterning the words of a written document, notice I concernie should at the time have been given to me - particulary as the original words... If I had requised any explanation from you, it would certanily not have been for the correction of a mere grammatical error, but upon the whole of the remark you hade made; which, as containing a general accusation, ought I concenie to have been supported by some corresponding explanatory note, from yourself [...] This did not prevent me from giving you a full of my own perfect desire to afford and to receive explanation, by transmitting to you the note and inclosure I did. » Les lettres de H.Lowe et documents datés de Sainte-Hélène sont très rares.
