The French government stepped in to declare the manuscript of the Marquis de Sade's "120 Days of Sodom" a national treasure Monday, just as it was about to be sold at auction in Paris. Officials ordered that the 18th-century erotic masterpiece be withdrawn from the sale, along with Andre Breton's "Surrealist Manifestos," banning their export from France, the Aguttes auction house told AFP.

They were part of a vast sale of historic documents owned by the French investment firm Aristophil, which was shut down in scandal two years ago, taking $1 billion of its investors' money with it.

"120 Days of Sodom" was expected to go for up to 6 million euros ($7 million) Wednesday, while Breton's highly influential manifestos on modern art were estimated at around 4 million euros.

Auctioneer Claude Aguttes, who is organizing the 300 sales in which Aristophil's huge collection of manuscripts is being dispersed, said the French Culture Ministry had promised to buy the Sade and Breton works "at international market rates".

...