ZOLA Émile (1840-1902). L.A.S. "Emile Zola", Médan July 14, 1888, to Guy de MAUPASSANT; 2 pages in-8 (traces of folds, small lack at a corner without loss of text). On his nomination for the Legion of Honor, and his future candidacy for the Academy. [The letter is written the day after Zola's nomination in the Legion of Honor, after having been verbally solicited by Édouard Lockroy, Minister of Public Instruction; it shows that Zola is already thinking of the Académie française]. "You have forgiven me, haven't you, my dear friend, for having made a mystery of things with you. Madame Charpentier had just brought me Lockroy's offer here, and in such a delicate way, that I had given in. But, by childishness perhaps, I did not want there to be a written acceptance from me. Hence my ambiguous answer to your kind letter. Yes, my dear friend, I accepted, after long reflections, which I will undoubtedly write one day, because I believe them to be interesting for the little people of letters, and this acceptance goes further than the cross, it goes to all the awards, up to the Academy: if the Academy ever offers itself to me, as the decoration did, that is to say if a group of academicians want to vote for me and ask me to apply, I will apply, simply, outside of all the profession of candidate. I believe that this is the right thing to do, and it would only be the logical result of the first step I have just taken. When I see you, I want to talk with you about these things, because I would be very happy to know that you agree with me"... Ph. de Flers, Th. Bodin, L'Académie française au fil des lettres, p. 252-255.