LESLIE WALTER: (1607-1667) Scottish Field Marshal and ...

LESLIE WALTER: (1607-1667) Scottish Field Marshal and diplomat, a Count of the Holy Roman Empire who served as Imperial Ambassador to Naples, Rome in 1645 and to Constantinople in 1665-66. A curious L.S., W Leslie, five pages, folio, n.p., 31st December 1644, ('ultimo dell'Anno nuovo 1644'), to His Excellency. The first three and a half pages of the letter are written in code, comprising sixty-five lines of numerals, closely written and without obvious breaks, immediately continuing with Italian text, in which Leslie reports of the enemy having taken possession of the town of Pegau, thereby extending the area of occupied territory to the borders of Bohemia, also making reference to Raimondi Montecuccoli, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, who is travelling to seek the assistance of the Elector, and further writing of the esteem in which his correspondent is held ('There is no Prince in the whole of Germany who shows so much affection towards Your Excellency') and that there is no one in the Court who do not wish to see him return to the command of the army, including those who previously spoke badly of him, and also seeking license to travel to Spain. It is possible that the second half of Leslie's letter is a transcript of the first half, although this would seem illogical, and therefore a more probable explanation of the code is that it contained content of a more sensitive nature than Leslie was prepared to write conventionally. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, and a couple of small tears to the edges, VG

 

Raimondi Montecuccoli (1609-1680) Italian-born soldier who served the Habsburg Monarchy. He was also a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Melfi, in the Kingdom of Naples.