[FRANCE] Antoine-Louis-Marie de Gramont (1755-1836) [Duc de Guiche and 8th Duke of Gramont and Prince Bidache] French military officer and politician. During the French Revolution he was Captain in the bodyguards of the King; he commanded Versailles the cornet guards during the days of 5 and 6 October 1789. Placed in 1791 at the head of the house of the king met at Coblentz , he, as a brigadier, the campaign of 1796 , with the army of Conde. After the dismissal of the king's house, he joined Louis XVIII , he never left. It was at this prince Dittingen when an attempt on his life by pulling him a gun to the head. "" Ah, Sire! "Exclaimed the Duke of Gramont," if the monster had drawn a line down? - Well, my friend, "said Louis XVIII with the greatest coolness," one line down, the King of France called Charles X ". " He emigrated with his family to England , where he served in the 10th Hussars : he was known there under the simple name of Captain Gramont . The Duke of Gramont shared the exile of the king until 1814 . He returned to France with the Duke of Angoul_me , where he was the first aide , and, on his return to France, he returned to the king as master of the guards he had performed under Louis XVI , and that it has continued under Charles X . He became successively a peer of France ( 4 June 1814 ), Lieutenant General ( 8 August 1814 ), Governor of the 11th military division ( 30 September 1814 ). The Hundred Days he retired to Spain after the affair of Pont-Saint-Esprit. At the time of the coronation of George IV ( 1821 ), he was chosen to represent France acting as ambassador extraordinary . After the revolution of July 1830 , he did not refuse the oath to the new government , and remained in the upper house until his death. [Note: translated from French]. Long ALS, 1809, 1-1/2 pages plus address leaf. VG. Rare!.

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