Journal de Voyage du Général Desaix: Suisse et Italie (1797)

The Alessandria-based Centro europeo di studi e ricerche sul periodo napoleonico or CNE (Italy) has published a reprint of the Chuquet edition Desaix's fascinating account of his travels in Switzerland and Italy in 1797.
 
The renowned specialist of Napoleon's early years, Arthur Chuquet produced his essay and commentary on this fascinating Desaix text in 1907. A remarkable feat given the undecipherable nature of Desaix's handwriting. At the time, Chuquet's work replaced the partial and poorly executed version published by General Vanson in the Carnet de la Sabretache, nos. 70-74. This re-introduction of a work which had become rare is to be applauded. Desaix's account reamins of great value to students of Napoleonic military history, and Chuquet's commentary is exceedingly detailed.
 
Three years ago, a new edition of this work was produced by Ronald Zinz (Horace Cardon, 2000). Zins's edition differs from Chuquet's in that he claims to have published the exact text of the original manuscript held at the SHAT in Vincennes, Paris, shelfmark 1M1376, whereas Chuquet (presumably using the same source) modified Desaix's original from time to time (but only where the text was incoherent). However, as afar as can be ascertained, the differences between Chuquet's text and the original manuscript boil down to moments where Desaix's original is faulty and Chuquet is restoring sense. For example, in a passage (in the section “Suisse, Passage du Jura”, paragraph 2) giving an account of a large country house, Desaix clearly made a grammatical error and left out a word. “On peut proprement dire qu'il [sic] est environné d'un immense dans le genre anglais…”. In French, the word house/maison is feminine, so the text as it stood was clearly incorrect – not to mention the meaningless expression 'd'un immense dans le genre' [a word such as 'park' missing]. To provide sense, Chuquet made 'il est environné' feminine 'elle est environnée' and added the obviously missing word 'parc', as follows: “On peut proprement dire qu'elle [the house] est environnée d'un immense parc [park] dans le genre anglais…”. Whilst modern philologists might have added a footnote detailing their operations, such was not the practice of earlier years, especially when the result is in all probability exactly what Desaix meant. Fortunately, there are only three or four notes of this sort in Zins. As a result, we can be certain that the text as printed in Zins is essentially the same as that in Chuquet.
As for the notes, Zins for the most part is content to reproduce Chuquet's verbatim. From time to time, he does abbreviate certain notes (occasionally adding details of his own) and at other times the bibliography is brought up to date (with references either to Tulard's Dictionnaire Napoléon or to Zins's own publications).
 
One major difference between the two editions occurs, however, in Desaix's treatment of Milan. In the Chuquet edition, the sections entitled 'Hommes', 'Encouragements pour les soldats', 'Administration de l'armée de l'Italie', 'Femmes françaises à Milan', 'Les Italiennes' (pp. 49-78), follow the entry 'Milan Belgioiso', whilst in the Zins edition they follow the section entitled 'Théâtre'. Zins makes no mention of the transposition of the sections, and it is unclear which edition reproduces the original. A priori Zins is correct, but the doubt remains.
 
To conclude: whilst there is much more in Chuquet than in Zins in terms of introduction and notes, Zins would appear to be more philologically accurate (the differences are in every case however banal). With Chuquet at 18 euros and Zins at 198 old Francs (circa 27 euros), you get more for your money with Chuquet.

Desaix, Louis-Charles-Antoine
Journal de Voyage du Général Desaix: Suisse et Italie (1797), Alessandria: Edizioni dell'Orso, 2003, series 'cNe: Anastatiche', edited by Luigi Mascilli Migliorini and Giulio Massobrio, anastatic reproduction of Journal de Voyage du Général Desaix: Suisse et Italie (1797), publié avec introduction et notes par Arthur Chuquet, Paris: Plon, 1907.
 
Desaix, Louis-Charles-Antoine
Journal de voyage du général Desaix : Suisse et Italie, 1797 / présenté et annoté par Ronald Zins, édition critique établie d'après le manuscrit original. – Reyrieux : Horace Cardon, 2000