Confiscations123xyz
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The following
appendixes accompany Confiscations at customs: banned books and the French
booktrade during the last years of the Ancien rŽgime published by the
Voltaire Foundation, Oxford University, SVEC, 2006:07 (formerly Studies
on Voltaire and the eighteenth century).
ISBN 0 7294 0881 7
[0729408817].
ISSN 0435-2886
[04352886 0435 2886].
Needless to say, these
materials need to be perused in conjunction with the printed book where the
reader will find additional information about them both in the main text and in
the introductions to the individual appendixes. Freely available, it is
recommended that libraries add a paper copy of this file to the printed book.
In order to facilitate
searching, each appendix is preceded by (******), and subsections by (***).
Since the text is
fully searchable, names, titles and so on are not included in the general index
of the printed book.
Please note that
the index printed with the book is not complete. The index as sent to the
publisher, in one unified list, is available at the same URL housing the
on-line appendixes. The code word imbedded in the file to enable finding it via
a search engine such as google or yahoo is Confiscations123xyzIndex.
To find specific items
(searching for specific strings), be sure to try alternative spellings such as
loix/lois, Paris/P‰ris, amusemen[t]s, Ï/oe, e/Ž, Le Vasseur / Levasseur, Le
Noir / Lenoir, and so on. Use 'inside' strings where possible, for example
'ogny' for d'Ogny or Dogny.
Please note that the
citation format is somewhat different from that in the printed book. For
example, a reference to vol.18, p.136 of Bachaumont's MŽmoires secrets
is transcribed as xviii.136.
Addendum:
As this work was in
the press, too late to be added to the printed book, I noted that an official
'privilge gŽnŽral' for the Collection des oeuvres corrigŽes de Voltaire
was officially registered. It was awarded to Carlet 'avocat', Bablot 'mŽdecin',
and to the abbŽ Valentin 'vicaire de Saint-Nicaise' in Ch‰lons-sur-Marne, given
in Paris on 24 September 1788, signed by Le Bgue 'par le roy en son conseil'
('feuille des jugements du 30 juillet 1788', in f.fr.21971, Registre des
privilges gŽnŽraux et permissions du sceau, p.31). For these OEuvres,
see the discussion centred on Voltaire's works in the printed book.
CONTENTS:
Appendix A. Two lists of books imprisoned in the Bastille, 1749
and 1781
1. The first
list
2. The second
list
Appendix E. Books seized at
the Beaucaire fair in 1766
Appendix G. Further
information about books and issues discussed in Confiscations
Appendix H. Hitherto unpublished documents
Appendix J. Banned books sold at auction
(******)
Appendix A. Two lists
of books imprisoned in the Bastille, 1749 and 1781
These documents
(Arsenal, in ms. 10305, a box) add titles to the bibliographies published by
Weil (Livres interdits), Negroni (Lectures interdites) and
Darnton (Corpus).
For more information
about ms.10305 and books not banned yet warehoused in the Bastille, see the
printed book.
1. The first list
In May 1749, an Etat
des ouvrages imprimŽs qui sont au dŽp™t de la Bastille et destinŽs pour tre
bržlŽs ou mis au pilon dans le ch‰teau was compiled (Arsenal, ms. 10305).
Those interested in pursuing this particular case further would want to compare
what is reported in that with a similar document titled Etat des livres
saisis qui sont chŽs M. Berryer ˆ la chambre aux livres [de la Bastille]
commencŽ au 6 novembre 1749 (same box). Here is the first list, modernised.
Excluded are items struck and repetitions. Unless otherwise mentioned, the
titles are absent from Weil and Negroni. Darnton's Corpus has largely
been left aside with respect to this Etat since it antedates the major
scope of his bibliography by some two decades. Entries in need of explanations
have been annotated.
ConfŽrences
sur les consultations d'avocats (1728) du pre Poisson [unidentified].
Histoire de la
constitution [ÉUnigenitus, by Lafitau and/or Le Cerf de La ViŽville;
BNC; Negroni no.165].
Explication de
l'Ep”tre aux Romains de M. Paris [3 vols in-12. This is the diacre Franois
[de] P‰ris who engendered a series of miracles before and after his death, or
so many believed.]
Eclaircissement sur
la justice chrŽtienne par M. Paris [Lettres ˆ un ecclŽsiastique sur la
justice chrŽtienne et les moyens de la conserver ou de la rŽparer by
Terrasson, a book condemned by the Sorbonne. See the preceding entry and
Negroni bibliography, no.322.]
Les Saintes voies
de la croix par Boudon
Annales historiques
avant et aprs la Constitution [Annales historiques des principaux
ŽvŽnements prŽcŽdŽ, accompagnŽ et suivi (de) la constitution Unigenitus,
n.p. n.d.]
Motifs de l'appel
de l'universitŽ de Paris [perhaps Actes et exposition des motifs de
l'appel interjettŽ par l'universitŽ de Paris le 5 octobre 1718 au futur concile
gŽnŽral de la Constitutioin de N.S.P. le pape ClŽment XIÉ, Paris: Thiboust,
1718; OCLC].
Examen du fait
d'Honorius [Charles Merlin, S.J.,Examen exact et dŽtaillŽ du fait
d'Honorius, n.p. 1738].
Les Amusements du
coeur et de l'esprit [perhaps Bibliothque de campagne, ou Amusemens du
coeurÉ]
Histoire naturelle
de l'‰me [La Mettrie; Negroni, no.172; Weil, 334].
Institution d'un
prince [by Duguet; Weil 195].
Histoire du portier
des Chartreux 'in-12 1741, non assemblŽ, dont on n'a point retirŽ
d'exemplaires pour M. Berryer' [Histoire de D. B. or Dom Bougre,
portierÉ; variously attributed, see Darnton, no.287; Weil 251. Bachaumont,
in a notice devoted to the death of Gervaise de Latouche, claims without
reservation that the lawyer was the culprit (MŽmoires secrets, 20
November 1782, xxi.210).].
Another edition of the
same, in-8, 1748, 2 copies 'ˆ la feuille de la chapelle du roi'.
L'Alcoran des
convulsionnistes [anon.?, L'Alcoran des convulsionistes, ode; the
BNC includes a note: 'De Le Court, J.V. Anonymes'. Le Court was a
printer-bookseller in Avranches, but it is not known if the person mentioned in
the note is the same. This pamphlet is absent from Barbier.]
Trs humbles
remontrances des fidles aux Žvques de France (1 November 1740) [There
were various versions with different dates. The BM d'Amiens houses one dated
1740.]
Retractation de
l'abbŽ de la Courance[?] de son acceptation et du Formulaire [There
were various retractions of the acceptance of the 'formulaire', but this one
could not be found.]
Diverses pices
[There is too little information provided by the record to enable the
identification of what is meant.]
DŽfense de la
cŽlbre dŽclaration du clergŽ de France par M. Bossuet [DŽfense de la
cŽlbre dŽclaration faite par le clergŽ de France sur la puissance
ecclŽsiastiqueÉ]
Les Îuvres de
Voltaire, 5 vols [There were various editions of Voltaire's OEuvres
antedating 1749; see Bengesco and the BNC.]
Le Glaneur
littŽraire [Probably the Glaneur historique, moral, littŽraire et
galante for which see Sgard, Dictionnaire des journaux.]
Trs humbles
remontrances des fidles adressŽes aux Žvques de France, 1738 [Probably
the anonymous Trs-humbles et trs-respectueuses remontrances des fidles
qui sont vexŽs par divers ecclŽsiastiques au sujet de la constitution
Unigenitus, adressŽes ˆ nosseigneurs les Žvques de France, n.p., n.d.
1738; BNC. But see infra.]
Recueil de
plusieurs pices pour servir ˆ l'histoire de Port Royal, 1740 [Anonymous.]
Amusements
philosophiques sur le langage des btes [Bougeant, Amusement
philosophiqueÉ Later on, in July 1783, this book was read by the censor
Riballier and passed, the title again given as AmusementsÉ (f.fr.21984,
f.161r, no.222).]
Eclaircissements
sur la prŽdestination, 1746 [Cordier, EclaircissemensÉ]
MŽmoires turcs
[Godard d'Aucour; Weil 258].
Lettres de l'Žvque
d'Auxerre ˆ M. de Montpellier, 1 July 1742 [Perhaps this has something to
do with the anonymous Lettres d'un thŽologien ˆ M. de Charancy, Žvque de
Montpellier, ˆ l'occasion de sa rŽponse ˆ M. l'Žvque d'Auxerre.]
Le Calendrier
ecclŽsiastique, 1734, des JansŽnistes [Probably an edition of
anonymous, Le Calendrier ecclŽsiastiqueÉ avec le nŽcrologe des personnes qui
depuis un sicle se sont le plus distinguŽes par leur piŽtŽ, leur attachement ˆ
Port-Royal et leur amour pour les vŽritŽs combattuesÉ The BNC includes
versions for 1735-1738, 1741, 1757, but not this one.]
Le Fourbe puni
[Anonymous, Le Fourbe puni, ou le Duel des rivales; Weil 236.]
RŽflexions sur
l'‰me des btes [Perhaps Boullier's Essai philosophique sur l'‰me des
btes o l'on trouve diverses rŽflexions sur la nature de la libertŽ, sur celle
de nos sensations, sur l'union de l'‰me et du corps, sur l'immortalitŽ de l'‰meÉ;
Weil 103, Darnton 219].
Lettres de
mademoiselle de... ˆ madame la marquise de... sur l'Histoire de madame de Luz,
1740 [Unidentified.]
Manuel du chrŽtien,
petite Ždition de Cologne [Probably Manuel du chrŽtien contenant le livre
des pseaumes, le Nouveau testament, et l'Imitation de JŽsus Christ avec
l'Ordinaire de la messe.]
Le Dictionnaire de
l'amour [Could this be Le Roux's Dictionnaire comique, satyriqueÉ?;
see my 'Naughty isÉ'; Dictionnaire comique, Weil 369. Mettra, at 12
January 1783, reports an Alphabet de l'amour with words and their
definitions but states nothing about it, where he got it, or whether it was
published (xiv.69-71). There is no such book listed in the CCFr. There were all
kinds of 'secretaries' (books about letter writing) which contained this sort
of thing.]
La VŽritable vie de
madame de Longueville [Perhaps Bourgoin de Villefore, La Vie de madame
la duchesse de Longueville. If that be the case, La VieÉ had been
imported by Alix and he was given permission to [re]print it (f.fr.21990, f.30r,
no.1056; undated, probably 1730s).]
Lettres chinoises,
ou Correspondance philosophique [D'Argens; Weil no.23 and Darnton no.374.
In one of the registers dealing with the tacit permit, f.fr.21994, there is an
entry for Lettres chinoises, cabalistiques et juives. The abbŽ de
Condillac was the censor, and the lot passed, 'permis ˆ Bauche' (p.17, no.113).
That one entry represents three books all cited by Weil and Darnton: Lettres
chinoises, as above; Lettres cabalistiques, ou Correspondance
philosophiqueÉ, Darnton 372, Weil 22; Lettres juives, ou Correspondance
philosophiqueÉ, Darnton 391, Weil 24. For more about d'Argens's books, see
the printed book.]
MŽmoires du
chevalier de Ravanne [Jacques de Varenne; Weil 562. In the tacit-permit
register at f.fr.21994, we find that Les MŽmoires de Ravannes was passed
by 'Des Essards', 'permis ˆ David le jeune' (p.8, no.31). It is also listed
among books granted a tacit permit in a sort of police report sandwiched between
entries dated 30 June 1750 and 1 July 1750, printed by Ballard for David jeune
(f.fr.21982, f.4r).]
MŽmoires pour
servir ˆ l'histoire de la Calotte [Attributed to the abbŽ de Margon.]
Portraits et estampes
concernant la Constitution [Unigenitus.]
Mirima, impŽratrice
du Japon [Fromaget; Weil no.242.]
Les Frimaons
hyperdrame (Spelt Les Fry-maons, hyperdrame in the Etat des
livres saisisÉ Berryer, p.[5], no.36. Fri-maonsÉ is correct.
This is attributed to Pierre ClŽment by the cataloguers of the Rondel collection
of theatrical materials in the Arsenal.]
Livres reliŽs sur la Constitution
saisis chŽs une lingre, rue St. Estienne des Grecs.
Histoire des
religieux de la compagnie de JŽsus, 4 vols in-12 [Pierre Quesnel.]
Plaintes et
protestations de Jean Gras, curŽ de Laytarguis[?] et de ThŽodore Mercier, curŽ
de St. Aunez d'Auroux, diocse de Montpellier, excommuniŽs par M. de Charancy
et son official, 1741 [AbbŽ Jean Gras, Plainte et protestation de Jean
Gras, prtre, curŽ de LayranguesÉ curŽ de Saint-Aunez-d'Aurous, tous
deux du diocse de MontpellierÉ, En France 1741; see the BNC.]
RŽflexions sur
l'instruction pastorale de l'Žvque de Rodez [N. Petitpied, RŽflexions
sur l'instruction pastorale de monsieur l'Žvque de Rhodez au sujet des erreurs
de JansŽnius (1740); BNC.]
RŽponse au
mandement de M. de Charancy, Žvque de Montpellier, 1740 [anon., RŽponse
au mandement de monseigneur Berger de Charancy, Žvque de Montpellier, two
editions dated 1740; BNC.]
La Foi des appelans
justifiŽe, 1740 [anon., La Foi des appelants justifiŽe contre les
calomnies contenues dans une lettre pastorale de M. Berger de Charancy, Žvque
de MontpellierÉ, En France 1740; BNC.]
Recueil des pices
fugitives en prose et en vers par M. de V., 1740 [Voltaire; Negroni 459.]
Les Îuvres de M.
l'Žvque de Montpellier, with the preface [As far as is known, the
collected works of the bishop of Montpellier were never published, but this
entry could refer to various texts.]
Trs humbles
remontrances des fidles aux Žvques de France [See infra.]
Nouvelles
ecclŽsiastiques, de diffŽrentes annŽes [The famous banned periodical for
which see Sgard's article in Sgard, Dictionnaire des journaux, no.1027;
Negroni 396.]
Histoire de
Clveland [abbŽ PrŽvost.]
Le PrŽdicateur ˆ la
mode [Anonymous, Le PrŽdicateur ˆ la mode, ou Lettre de monsieur l'abbŽ
D. M. a madame la marquise de Sourches, Florence: chez Antithse le pre,
n.d.; BNC.]
Les Amours
traverses [Guillot de La Chassagne, Les Amours traversŽs, histoires
intŽressantes dans lesquelles la vertu ne brille pas moins que la galanterie.]
Dictionnaire
d'amour [See infra.]
Justification des
rŽflexions sur le Nouveau testament par M. Bossuet [Weil 94.]
Apologie de
l'Žquivoque [Attributed to Pierre Grenan or Louis Racine.]
SupplŽment ˆ
l'explication d'Ia•e [Isa•e] de M. du GuŽ [Unidentified; perhaps a book by
Jacques du GuŽ? See the BNC and the CCFr.]
Tableau des 101
propositions [This would refer to the 101 propositions condemned by Unigenitus.
Those interested in pulling up parallel entries in the BNC, the CCFr and other
data-bases would wish to use key words such as '101', 'CI', 'C.I.']
M. de Montgeron
[Louis-Basile CarrŽ de Montgeron, author of La VŽritŽ des miracles opŽrŽs ˆ
l'intercession de M. de P‰risÉ]
M. Rousse [Probably
this entry refers to a book or books by the abbŽ Jean Rousse. See the BNC and
the CCFr for possibilities.]
2. The second list
Here is information
from another document in the same box (Arsenal, 10305) this time dating to the
pre-revolutionary period. It is titled Livres condamnŽs au pilon par
jugement de M. Le Noir [Lenoir] du 8 aožt 1781, ordonnŽs tre portŽs au ch‰teau
de la Bastille par lettre de M. Le Noir du 5 septembre 1781 adressŽe ˆ M. le
major de la Bastille [the marquis de Launey]. These were books largely
confiscated at customs, inspected at the Chambre syndicale and most decidedly
not allowed through.
This list is on a
folio bifolium, 3p. There are three 'Žtats', a first, fourth and fifth. No
explanations are provided about the absence of the others, or indeed whether
they even existed.
These 'Žtats' expand
our knowledge about what was happening. For example the first entry concerning
Jamin's PensŽes thŽologiques is entered into both the customs register
(f.fr.21935, no.185) and that at the Chambre syndicale (21934, f.23). Neither
of those mentions an author nor the number of copies seized.
Further information
can be obtained about unclaimed books, entries often with no name of the
recipient. These were largely not entered into the customs or Chambre syndicale
registers. Thus the long list of reprehensible books confiscated from Desauges
is not mentioned in f.fr.21934 or in f.fr.21935.
Darnton used to
advantage materials in Arsenal, ms. 10305, and an appendix in his Corpus
(p.152-53) provides a summary report. (The appendixes in the Corpus are
rounded out by statistics presented in The Forbidden best-sellers,
p.24-32 et passim.) The list of Desauges's books is noted, and titles
are entered into the main body of the Corpus in their appropriate place.
Only those overlooked have been marked here.
In the first section,
information available from the Etat is reported, and what can be gleaned
from the registers housed f.fr.21934 and f.fr.21935 is added.
The secretary took the
trouble, doubtless under orders, to include identifying initials (those which
appeared on packets being shipped about) and numbers, here transcribed after
the title. These are the shipment numbers and the identifying letters
(occasionally symbols) that accompanied packets and were recorded in the
'acquits de caution'. They help to identify the corresponding records in
f.fr.21934-35. The numbers are not those in f.fr.21935 since the latter were
used simply to keep track of the arrival of the shipments.
Premier Žtat des
suspensions depuis le 1er fŽvrier
1780 jusqu'au 30 mars 1781
4 February 1780,
seized from La Porte, 1300 copies of Jamin's ()PensŽes thŽologiques [relatives
aux erreurs du temps]; no.2, M.D. F.fr.21935, no.185 reports: in-12;
Laporte; 'prohibŽ'; no decision or author or number of copies is mentioned.
F.fr.21934, f.23: 3 'ballots' from OrlŽans; in-12; 'comme prohibŽ'; 'pilon' by
the decision of 8 August 1781; again no author or number of copies. Several
sheets of this work, dusty and somewhat battered, emanating from the depository
at the Bastille can be examined in Arsenal, ms.10314. See too appendix K, A-29-30.
15 February, from
Durand, 200 copies of []DŽfense d'un nouveau systme
national; no.47, M.D. F.fr.21935, no.188, expands the title to read Ésisteme
de guerre national and notes that a copy was sent to Montbarey -- the
comte-prince de Montbarey was high up in the war department -- for his opinion.
It was 'rayŽ' on 24 May 1781. Ledger 21934, f.23 further informs us that the
books arrived in a 'balle' from Lyon, were confiscated as a novelty, and thence
condemned to the shredder by a decision reached on 8 August 1781. That is
confirmed by a tacit-permit ledger from which we learn that SŽgur had also
refused it (f.fr.21984, 24 May 1781, no.188). We have now traced the book to
its final destination and know how many copies were involved. This title is
absent from the BNC, the CCFr, RLIN, OCLC and Conlon (anon., 1780-1782).
12 May from M.
Henryon, 74 copies of a []MŽmoire ˆ consulter pour M. DieudonnŽ Obry contre
M. de Gerbevilles in-4; no.132, HR [joined]. Ledger 21935, no.197, informs us that Blanchard de La
Valette was the censor who read this importation and that it was 'rayŽ' on 12
July 1780. F.fr.21934, f.24, tells us that the packet came from Nancy and that
it was condemned to the 'pilon' by the 8 August 1781 decision. This action is
confirmed by a tacit-permit register (f.fr.21984, 30 June 1780, no.197). The
title is given as []MŽmoire et consultation pour Me. Obry avocat contre le
marquis de Gerbeville. This book is absent from the BNC, the CCFr, RLIN,
OCLC and Conlon (1779-1781).
23 May, from Blaisot
de Lardoue[?], 290 copies of []Les Jammabos, ou les Moines japonnais [by
Fenouillot de Falbaire]; no.122, B.T. F.fr.21935, no.198 adds 'tragŽdie' to the
title. Blaizot is so spelt. The decision: 'rŽfusŽ'. 21934, f.24 adds Delanoux's
name as a recipient. The box came from Auxonne; 'au pilon' by the 8 August 1781
decision. Copies were in the Bastille when it fell; see appendix K, A-133.
21 July, from Jombert,
48 copies of []RŽflexions politiques, gŽnŽrales et particulires sur la
guerre d'Allemagne; no number or initials. F.fr.21935, no.210, fleshes out
the title (Éd'Allemagne en 1778), explains that Vergennes refused it a
permit on 23 July so it was 'rayŽ' on 29 August 1780. F.fr.21934, f.25 informs
us that the packet came from Valenciennes and underscores the book's status:
'donner les ordres les plus prŽcis pour saisir les exemplaires et empcher
l'introduction et la distribution, du 29 aožt 1780'; 'pilon' 8 August 1781. The
book's status is confirmed by a tacit-permit register which adds that the book
was [also?] refused by Sartine even as a nasty note repeats: 'RayŽ et donner
les ordres les plus prŽcis pour saisir les exemplaires et empcher
l'introduction' (f.fr.21984, 20 October 1780, no.210). This book is by A.-P.
Raoux (BNC). Copies survived the storming of the Bastille. See appendix K,
A-103.
6 February 1781, from
M. Ney, 1 copy of ()Margot la ravaudeuse [Fougeret de Monbron]; no.135,
N. F.fr.21935, no.232, 'comme prohibŽ'; no decision. F.fr.21934, f.28 notes
that it was sent from LunŽville; one copy; 'comme prohibŽ'; no decision
reported.
20 March, from No‘l,
500 copies of RŽgime de sociŽtŽ pour l'hospitalitŽ publique; no.113,
M.L.M. F.fr.21935, no.240 titled []RŽgime des sociŽtŽs par l'hospitalitŽ
publique [by No‘l]; 'nouveautŽ'; Lamillire, the censor; 'rayŽ' on 8 April
1781. F.fr.21934, f.28: from Sainte-Menehould; title as per f.fr.21935;
'nouveautŽ'; struck from the 'feuille des permissions tacites' on 8 April 1781;
'au pilon' on 8 August 1781. The tacit-permit record notes that the book was
'rayŽ' (f.fr.21984, 8 April 1781, no.240). Copies ended up in the Bastille. See
appendix K, A-158.
30 March, from M.
Caille, 11 copies of []MŽmoire pour le Sr. Franois Osouf; no.186,
L.B.C. F.fr.21935, no.244, title completed to ÉOsouf, curŽ de Quettehou;
recipient named as 'Caillet'; 'nouveautŽ', Lalaure the censor; struck on 20
April 1781. F.fr.21934, f.29: 'Caillet'; imported from Rouen; 11 copies;
'nouveautŽ'; struck from the 'feuille' of tacit permits on 20 April 1781; 'au
pilon' on 8 August 1781. The book's status is corroborated by a tacit-permit
register (f.fr.21984, 20 April 1780, no.244: 'Quetehou'). This title is absent
from the BNC, the CCFr, RLIN, and OCLC.
Quatrime Žtat, livres
non rŽclamŽs depuis le 9 novembre 1779 jusqu'au 30 mars 1781
This 'Žtat' includes
the following entries:
400 copies of the 'Pucelle
de Voltaire'; no.2, D.Y.
quatre ballots pour un
libraire de Bordeaux contre un juif littŽrateur; no.3, no initials.
c.400 copies of
Espion franois ˆ Londres [Goudard]; no.6, no initials.
12 Le Bonheur
[HelvŽtius]; no.7, P.D.E.
34 []Observations
sur le MŽmoire justificatif de la cour de Londres; no.29, M. Martin.
Probably by Beaumarchais. It is most unlikely that the confiscation concerned a
book by GŽrard de Rayneval with nearly the same title. Beaumarchais's book is
signed, and GŽrard de Rayneval's appeared anonymously. The MŽmoire
justificatif is by E. Gibbon. See appendix C at 17 March 1780 and appendix
K, C-58.
95 copies of MŽmoires
pour le Sr. Pelissery de Marseille; no.37, no initials. A search of the BNC
for 'Pelissery' failed to pull up any records. Perhaps, and only perhaps, this
has something to do with Roch-Antoine de Pellissery, aka Charles-Elie-Denis
Rooptsy. Mettra, Correspondance secrte at 14 June 1777, writes: 'Il
s'imprime un mŽmoire sur les finances par M. de Pelisseri; le Gouvernement
vient d'en faire saisir le manuscrit et les exemplaires dŽjˆ imprimŽs et de
mettre l'auteur ˆ la Bastille' (iv.425-26). See too 2 August 1777 (v.74-81) and
25 October 1777 (v.236f.). Charpentier, Bastille dŽvoilŽe, devotes
several pages to Roch-Antoine Pellissery , citing a letter written by him. He
had sent a 'petit rien des erreurs et dŽsavatages pour l'Žtat, etc.' to
Geneva to be printed by Bardin. Involved in all this was a 'lettre
circulaire de M. Pellissery, o il s'Žlevoit contre le rŽtablissement
des parlemens, et o il y avoit des reproches trs-injurieux ˆ
l'autoritŽ' (v.5-17). From what is reported, the title of the book was 'Erreurs et dŽsavantages pour l'Žtat de ses emprunts, du 7
janvier et 7 fŽvrier 1777, imprimŽ ˆ Basle en 1777, contenant 50
pages d'impression' (unidentified) in which Necker was criticised. Pellissery
also admitted to being the author of the CafŽ politique d'Amsterdam
(1774) and the []Eloge politique de Colbert [qui n'a point ŽtŽ prŽsentŽ ˆ
l'AcadŽmie franoise pour le prix de la St. Louis, 1773, several editions].
Curiously, a copy of the Erreurs et dŽsavantages could not be located
(OCLC, CCFr, RLIN, BNC, CERL, Conlon under anonyms 1777).] As for the CafŽ
politique d'Amsterdam, Darnton lists one customs confiscation (1778; Corpus,
no.72). The book was part of a shipment sent to Gombaut from Rouen, confiscated
on 16 January 1778 with Mercier's L'An 2440 and 'Rech. s. les finances,
in-4', all 'comme prohibŽs'. Darnton includes the last one which he was not
able to identify (no.597). A decision was rapidly made to allow the books
through 'par ordre particulier du 30 janvier 1778' (f.fr.21934, f.3).
200 copies confiscated
from d'Aligre of []Projet
patriotique pour l'entretien des ponts et chaussŽes ('en envoyer trois ˆ M.
Lenoir'); no.38, D.A. Listed as anonymous by the BNC, this book might have
something to do with a work or works by Claude-Franois-Joseph d'Auxiron.
Several copies of the Projet survived the fall of the Bastille. See
appendix K, C-26.
Cinquime Žtat, livres
non rŽclamŽs depuis le 4 janvier 1780 jusqu'au 30 mars 1781
Confiscated from M.
Desauges on 12 December [1780], were the following (no.77, D.M. or just D.]:
2 copies of the Îuvres,
HelvŽtius.
20 Systme social
[d'Holbach, Systme social, ou Principes naturels de la morale et de la
politique].
2 []Maupouana [MaupeouanaÉ,
attributed to Pidansat de Mairobert].
2 AntiquitŽ
dŽvoilŽe [Boulanger].
4 Îuvres choisies,
Piron; 1 vol in-8 [A collection of largely ribald poetry excluded from the
official Îuvres even supposedly compltes published before the
Revolution.]
12 []Histoire des
francs-maons de Naples [FŽlix Lioy, Histoire de la persŽcution intentŽe
en 1775 aux francs-maons de Naples suivie de pices justificatives,
Londres 1780].
3 MŽmorial d'un
mondain, 2 vols in-8 [Graf von Lamberg].
3 Bureau d'esprit,
comŽdie [chevalier Rutledge or Rutlidge].
2 Prix de la
justice et de l'humanitŽ [Voltaire].
2 Commentaire sur
l'Esprit des lois de Voltaire.
18 ThŽmidore
[Godard d'Aucour].
4 Histoire du
parlement [de Paris, Voltaire].
2 Examen de
l'Žvidence du christianisme [Darnton, Corpus, no.246 as
unidentified; a translation of a book by Soame Jenyns with notes: Examen de
l'Žvidence intrinsque du christianismeÉ].
1 Histoire
ecclŽsiastique de Mosheim, 6 vols in-8
6 Rousseau juge de
Jean-Jacques [Rousseau; one of the tacit-permit registers has a record
indicating that this book was awarded a permit on 10 August 1780; Blin de
Sainmore was the censor (f.fr.21984, f.118v, no.2358)].
3 Recherches sur
les AmŽricains [Recherches philosophiques surÉ, Cornelius de Pauw].
3 idem, sur les
Egyptiens [et les Chinois, Pauw].
2 Le Grand-Ïuvre
dŽvoilŽ [Perhaps Grassot's La Lumire tirŽe du cahos, ou Science
hermŽtique du grand-Ïuvre philosophique dŽvoilŽ but more probably Coutan's Le
Grand Îuvre dŽvoilŽ en faveur des enfants de la lumire, traduit du chalda•que
(BNC). Darnton, no.273 includes Le Grand-Ïuvre dŽvoilŽ en faveur des
personnes qui ont grand besoin d'argentÉ Paris 1779].
1 Christianisme
dŽvoilŽ [d'Holbach].
3 AntiquitŽ
dŽvoilŽe [Boulanger].
4 David, ou Systme
de l'homme [Peter Annet?, d'Holbach translator, David, ou l'Histoire de
l'homme selon le coeur de Dieu, histoire traduite de l'anglais].
4 Contagion sacrŽe
[d'Holbach].
5 Îuvres
d'HelvŽtius, 4 vols.
2 Espion chinois,
6 vols in-12 [Ange Goudar].
3 Christianisme
dŽvoilŽ [d'Holbach].
3 De l'homme et de
ses facultŽs, 2 vols [HelvŽtius].
5 Îuvres
d'HelvŽtius
2 []Apologie de la
religion par Freret [In all probability this refers to the Examen
critique des apologistes de la religion chrŽtienne, various editions (by
Nicholas FrŽret or others; see appendix K, A-74). It is so cited by Darnton,
no.241.]
1 Amours de
ZŽokinisul [attibuted to CrŽbillon fils, Mme de Vieux-Maisons or La
Beaumelle; usually spelt ZŽokinizul].
4 Balai et Chandelle
d'Arras [both by Dulaurens].
6 CruautŽ
religieuse [d'Holbach, De la cruautŽ religieuse].
6 FaussetŽ des
miracles [des deux TestamentsÉ, anonymous].
20 Compre Matthieu
[Dulaurens].
[End of the list.]
The final entry
follows dated 12 January 1781, recording 300 copies of a []RŽcit vŽritable
d'une croix miraculeuse confiscated from M. Gautier (no.54, no initials).
This entry is also absent from registers f.fr.21934-5. A copy could not be
located (RLIN, CCFr, OCLC, BNC, BLC, Conlon).
(******)
Appendix E. Books
seized at the Beaucaire fair in 1766
For secondary sources,
see the printed book.
In the mid 1760s the
Paris booktrade, fed up with losses incurred by the vast quantitites of
piracies that competed -- successfully -- with their privileged books, decided
to fund a raid on the famous fair held in Beaucaire annually in late July, an
event still in existence today. Due to its situation on the Rh™ne, close to
Montpellier, N”mes, Avignon, Aix and Marseille, Beaucaire attracted the major
movers from the southern regions of France including Avignon (sometimes papal,
sometimes French), N”mes and other places. The opening words of the royal
declaration ('De par le roi') sum up the government's ostensible reason for
intervening: 'Sa MajestŽ Žtant informŽ qu'il se fait habituellement dans toutes
les provinces du Royaume un commerce considŽrable de livres galement
contraires ˆ la religion, aux biens de l'Žtat et aux bonnes moeurs; que ces
livres imprimŽs chez l'Žtranger sont introduits dans le Royaume par des routes
dŽtournŽes; que des libraires de France ont des correspondans avec des
imprimeurs Žtrangers non seulement pour ces livres pernicieux, mais mme pour
contrefaire des livres imprimŽs en France avec privilge de Sa MajestŽ, et les
y introduire nonobstant les dŽfences insŽrŽes dans lesd. privilges; que c'est
principallement ˆ Avignon qu'on imprime les livres les plus dangereux ˆ tous
Žgards et qu'on profite des circonstances de la foire de Beaucaire pour les
faire entrer par la province de Languedoc, et les faire passer dans les autres
provinces du Royaume par des colporteurs et gens sans qualitŽ; et attendu la
nŽcessitŽ de rŽprimer ce genre de commerce et de punir les coupables, Sa
MajestŽ a ordonnŽ au S.r Mutel, commissaire au Ch‰telet de Paris de
se transporter accompagnŽ du S.r d'HŽmery, inspecteur de la
librairie, ˆ Beaucaire lors de la foireÉ' (f.fr.22098, no.27; cautiously modernised).
All the information in this section is from the same collectanea (f.fr.22098).
Henceforth only the document number is cited.
So the king ordered
Hubert Mutel ('avocat au parlement', 'conseiller du roi', and more especially a
'commissaire' at the Ch‰telet in Paris) and d'HŽmery to go to the fair, engage
the cooperation of the local police, inspectors at the 'ferme' and others, and
to confiscate all the illegal books that they could find. Given in Versailles
on 19 June 1766 by Louis and PhŽlypeaux. Mutel and d'HŽmery's business trip was
to last nearly a full month, 2-31 July 1766.
Our duo arrived in
Beaucaire on 10 July (at 5 o'clock) which was too soon since all the fair
merchandise had not yet arrived. They were met by the sieurs Mesplet and Reboule
who told them that the Avignon booktrade had rented eight or nine shops for the
fair. The books were going to travel by the Rh™ne in about a week's time.
D'HŽmery and Mutel contacted M. Gaulard, 'fermier gŽnŽral de tournŽe' who had
arrived the day before and made arrangements to set up a 'dŽp™t' at the tax
collection bureaux ('la ferme') where all books arriving from Avignon could be
sent for inspection.
The policemen didn't
want to arouse suspicions -- and had time on their hands -- so they decided on
a side trip to check out the situation in towns like Marseille, Toulon and Aix.
(A detailed report of all their travels, post by post, is given in no.43. A
narrative account occupies no.32.) D'HŽmery and Mutel returned to Beaucaire on
the 16th before the opening of the fair (on 22 July), wanting to get their job
done ahead of time to avoid the confusion and embarrassment such inspections
would cause during the fair proper. They began in ernest on Friday, 18 July and
worked non-stop until the opening of the fair.
A summary report
indicates that of the 134 crates of books inspected belonging to five Avignon
booksellers and two from N”mes, 48 were confiscated. Among those books were
about 400 copies of reprehensible literature, 'tels que La Chandelle d'Arras,
Les MatinŽes du roi de Prusse, et partie ˆ l'usage des Protestans, et le
surplus comme contrefaits'. The 'partie ˆ l'usage des Protestans' meant
religious books of a reformist nature, banned in principle but largely
tolerated as were books for Jews (in certain areas). All these books would be
shipped to Paris, carefully wrapped so that they would arrive in good condition
(no.31).
Everything seized came
from the fair because nothing naughty or pirated was found in the towns they
visited, or so they claimed. That is hard to believe even if news travels
quickly, and members of the trade may have had some advance warning. But they
must have at least found piracies. The towns they went to had printers who
churned out vast quantities, and if they are not so hard to recognise today,
they must have been even more obvious to contemporaries whose profession in
part depended upon such expertise. But had d'HŽmery and Mutel tried to
confiscate piracies, there is a good chance they would not have survived to
tell the tale!
The fair reports are
wonderfully detailed, and we are fortunate indeed that they have survived. For
example the inspectors were careful not to forget, among their expenses (well
over 8000 livres), the sum of 696 livres, 10 sols doled out to spies (no.39).
On 27 October 1766, the bill was presented to a committee comprised of the
officers and 'anciens' at the Chambre syndicale in Paris, and arrangements were
made to pay it (f.fr.21859, f.353r).
A sixteen-page folio
document tightly written in a clear hand spells out exactly what was found in
the crates confiscated at the Beaucaire fair (no.33). The vast majority of the
books seized were piracies. They were eventually sold off in Paris for the
benefit of the Chambre syndicale which had, as mentioned, funded the
enterprise. Since the books would have been acquired by members of the trade,
this offers further proof that Paris booksellers were not loathe to sell
piracies of their own privileged works or those of their colleagues.
Mutel and d'HŽmery's
task began on a Friday, 18 July 1766 at 6 o'clock in the morning; the
inspection was to run without interruption for three days. They detailed the
contents of 47 cases of books (the full report differs somewhat from the
summary cited above) belonging to booksellers and printers in Avignon, Cette
[Ste], Carpentras and N”mes. A summary of the people involved, where they came
from, number of crates confiscated can be consulted at no.34. The bookpeople
were the following, with the number of crates seized in parentheses:
Joseph-Simon Tournel,
a printer-bookseller from Avignon (13 crates).
Pierre Aubert, a
pedlar from Ste (2).
Dominique-Gaspard
Quesnin, a printer-bookseller from Carpentras (5).
Marguerite Capot,
widow of Franois Girard, a printer-bookseller from Avignon (6), 'plus un
qu'elle a dŽclarŽ au S. Aubert, libraire d'Avignon'.
Pierre Delaire, a
printer-bookseller from Avignon (6).
Ignace Moreau, a
bookseller from Avignon (2).
Joseph Niel, a
printer-bookseller from Avignon (10).
Suzanne Boissac, wife
of Alexandre Duyrat, a printer in N”mes (1).
Jacques Gaude for
Michel Gaude his father, a bookseller in N”mes (1).
The policemen's
ostensible primary goal was to fish out banned books, but there were few of
those. The Paris trade evidently used that -- of considerable concern to the
government but of little importance to booksellers in the capital -- as an
excuse to drum up support for their cause: protecting their commercial
interests.
One of the documents
resulting from this affair is a MŽmoire sur la saisie faite ˆ la foire de
Beaucaire au mois de juillet 1766 et sur les moyens d'anŽantir ˆ jamais le
commerce irrŽgulier de la librairie d'Avignon (no.35), probably composed by
d'HŽmery with Mutel's collaboration. The raid offered ample proof that Avignon
mostly produced piracies and prohibited books: 'On sait combien les livres de
party [those largely centred on religious controversy] ont causŽ de troubles et
que c'est des presses d'Avignon que sont sorties toutes les horreurs imprimŽes
contre les parlemens qui ont ŽtŽ rŽpandues dans toutes les provinces du Royaume
par la facilitŽ qu'il y a de les introduire.' The solution was simple, prohibit
the importation into France of any book printed in Avignon unless a permit was
issued by the head of the Paris police. (Some details are provided).
Listing all the
piracies would expand this appendix (and study) beyond manageability. But let
us include a sample, piracies which Joseph-Simon Tournel, a printer-bookseller
in Avignon, intended to sell at the fair. His shipment had been exported from
papal Avignon via the tax collectors' office ('bureau de la ferme') in
Villeneuve-ls-Avignon. Many books not listed were suspected of being piracies.
The piracies were among the bestsellers of the day, printed all around France
year after year. Only two of Tournel's books were in trouble for their
contents, marked with an asterisk. The piracies are listed as they appear in
the minutes and in that order.
20 'grosses' of Etrennes
mignonnes in wrappers (privilege owned by Durand).
131 duodecimo volumes
bound in sheepskin including Le Petit paroissien, Sermons de Pacault,
Sermons de TornŽ, Racine's La Religion, pome.
28 dozen books covered
with parchment: Office de la Sainte-Vierge (Avignon imprint).
263 volumes bound in
sheepskin including La Manire d'enseigner et Žtudier les belles-lettres
by Rollin, his TraitŽ des Žtudes, Collet's Institution, Restaut's
Grammaire, Saint-Augustin's Confessions, Les Caractres de
ThŽophraste [La Bruyre], La Croix's GŽographie.
154 volumes (in-8 and
in-12, bound in sheepskin) including Secret concernant les arts et mŽtiers,
Remdes de madame Fouquet, Joubert's Dictionnaire and PoŽtique
franaise.
76 dozen books bound
in parchment, Office de la Sainte-Vierge.
232 volumes in-12
bound in sheepskin, including Les Aventures de TŽlŽmaque, La Fontaine's Fables,
Le Ragois's Histoire de France.
305 volumes in-12
bound in sheepskin, including OEuvres de Molire, OEuvres de Voltaire,
Synonymes franais [Girard and BeauzŽe], Histoire des chevaliers de
Malthe [abbŽ Vertot].
6 volumes in-4
(sheepskin): La Maison rustique [by the chevalier PrŽfontaine].
116 volumes (in-12 and
in-8, sheepskin), including L'AcadŽmie des jeux, Le TraitŽ du vrai
mŽrite, Barrme's Comptes faits.
8 copies of L'Oeil
du pote en fait de religion, 1766 [anon., n.p. 1766], 'sans permission ni
nom d'imprimeur lesquels exemplaires led. S.r
Tournel a dŽclarŽ lui avoir ŽtŽ remis par le S.r Giraud, imprimeur ˆ Avignon pour les vendre ˆ raison de 8.s l'exemplaire' which, in Paris, would have
been tantamount to giving them away.
190 volumes
(sheepskin, in-8) including Le Dictionnaire domestique, Îuvres de
Regnard, Îuvres de Destouches, TŽlŽmaque, Sermons de
Massillon
10 volumes in-folio
(sheepskin), including Dictionnaire de Pontas, Richelet's ditto.
55 volumes in-12
(sheepskin) including Histoire de France, PoŽsies de Deshoulires,
Jean-Adrien HelvŽtius's TraitŽ des maladies.
2 volumes in-4, Le
Mary [Nicolas Lemery]'s Dictionnaire[, ou TraitŽ universel] des drogues
[simples].
56 volumes in-12
including Ordonnances des eaux et forts.
73 'brochures de
livres' including [PrŽvost's] Cleveland.
236 volumes (in-12 and
in-8, sheepskin) including Dictionnaires des beaux-arts, TraitŽ de
l'ortographe, Dictionnaire domestique, Vaugien's Dictionnaire de
gŽographie, HŽnault's Histoire de France, Dictionnaire de santŽ,
Dictionnaire des conciles.
317 volumes in-12
(sheepskin) including Semaines saintes, Imitation de JŽsus-Christ,
Ep”tres et Žvangiles, Rudiments.
223 volumes in-12
(sheepskin) including Comptes-faits de Barrme, Principes de
chirurgie de La Faye, Dictionnaire de la fable, La Chirurgie des
pauvres, La Maladie des os.
2 copies in wrappers
of OEuvres de Bossuet, 2 vols in-8.
5 copies in wrappers
of ditto (in another packet).
449 'parties ou
volumes brochŽs contrefaits ou prohibŽs dont *Emile par Jean Jacques
Rousseau, *La Chandelle d'Arras [Dulaurens], La Nouvelle HŽlo•se [Rousseau], les Contes moraux
[Marmontel], La Columbiade [Mme du Boccage], L'Orphelin de la Chine
[Voltaire].
48 volumes in-4
(sheepskin) including Lemery's Dictionnaire, his Chimie, Dictionnaire
de Ferrare, Bibliothque des nŽgociants.
23 volumes (sheepskin)
including Du Breuil's Imitation de JŽsus-Christ.
Beyond the prohibited
books owned by Tournel (Emile and La Chandelle d'Arras), we find
the following in shipments belonging to others. Bypassing ambiguities such as
Voltaire's Îuvres, included are books classified as 'probibŽs' by the
inspectors whether directly or indirectly, and books known to have been in
trouble since the minutes do not always indicate their status.
2 copies of Emile
in wrappers, confiscated from Pierre Aubert, a pedlar based in Cette [Ste].
The Îuvres de
GrŽcourt, confiscated from Marguerite Capot, veuve Gerard
(printer-bookseller in Avignon), was classified as a piracy. The collection
contains some famous naughty poems (by GrŽcourt, Baculard d'Arnaud, Piron, and
others), but it was largely tolerated. As with so many other books, that had
not always been the case. A member of the administration wrote the following
note about this collection, probably about 1755-58. The letter is in the form
of a draft and is neither signed nor dated; parts of it remain fragmentary.
'Les OEuvres de l'abbŽ
de GrŽcourt sont 8. petits volumes in-12. Ce sont des vers, des contes fort
libres.
[Ils] ont ŽtŽ saisies
il y a 6. ou 7. ans chez la veuve Bienvenu, libraire. VoyŽs ˆ la [?] s'il y a
de ces imprimŽs.
N'auraient-ils pas ŽtŽ
mis au pilon? Je ne m'en souviens pas.
M. Changuy[?] peut
avoir un dossier de la Bienvenu vers 1748 ou 49.
Postscript. Ne cherchŽs point. Ces livres ont
ŽtŽ mis au pilon ˆ la Chambre syndicale en prŽsence de M. Berryer lui-mme en
1749. Ainsi [enrayŽs?] et je vous souhaite le bon jour' (Arsenal, ms. 10305).
Pierre Delaire,
another printer-bookseller from Avignon, was one of the naughtiest of the
group. Confiscated from him were 35 copies (plus 36 more in another packet) of Les
MatinŽes du roi de Prusse, Emile (1 + 24 + 3 + 3 copies), J.-J.
Rousseau's Îuvres (4), Toussaint's Les MÏurs (10), MŽmoires de
Mme de Maintenon [La Beaumelle] (status not specified), Lettres et
mŽmoires de Maintenon (1 copy, status not specified), Voltaire's La
Pucelle (11 copies), Rousseau's Contrat social (4 copies, status not
specified but among books 'contrefaits et prohibŽs'), Voltaire's Dictionnaire
philosophique. Delaire declared that he got Les MÏurs from a printer
in Geneva whose name he had forgotten; Les MatinŽes, from Cusset, a
printer in Grenoble; Emile from Dumont, a printer in Lausanne.
Joseph Niel, a
printer-bookseller from Avignon, was caught with Les Lettres juives
[d'Argens] and Rousseau's Lettres Žcrites de la montagne, both
classified as prohibited.
Suzanne Boisset, wife
of Duyrat, a bookseller in N”mes, was hauled in to answer for a stack of
piracies and '130 volumes ˆ l'usage des protestans comme catŽchismes, pseaumes,
prires et bibles' bound in sheepskin.
We finally come to a
few books that include pornography. Jacques Gaude, the twenty-one year old
eldest son of Michel, a bookseller in N”mes, cut his teeth owning up to the intent
of selling bunches of piracies and La Chandelle d'Arras [Dulaurens]; 10
copies of Marie la ravaudeuse [surely Fougeret de Monbron's Margot la
ravaudeuse]; 20 Cosmopolites [F. de Monbron's Le Cosmopolite, ou
le Citoyen du monde]; 4 TolŽrances [probably Voltaire's TraitŽ de
la tolŽrance]; 6 DŽlices du clo”tre [Éclo”tre, ou la Religieuse
en chemise, complicated history, variously attributed, probably by Franois
de Chavigny]; 2 Nouveaux mŽlanges [probably Voltaire's but whether with
reprehensible texts or not we will never know]; 23 PrŽdications [which
could be many things, in trouble or not]. Gaude fils was asked where he got the
books and replied that they came from Franois Grasset et compagnie in
Lausanne, ordered by Jacques's brother, a 'nŽgociant au Cap franois'.
(******)
Appendix G. Further
information about books and issues discussed in Confiscations
The purpose of this
appendix is to flesh out information reported in the main text with respect to
books, their travels, confiscations and prohibitions. For contextualisation,
please refer to the printed book.
(***)
No.1. Prohibited works
confiscated from Esprit on 22 September 1779
Information recorded
in this list provides a sampling of the kinds of details often given by the
registers usually omitted in this study.
2 copies of the ()Philosophie
de la nature [by Delisle de Sales] in-8, Londres 1777, 6 vols bound in
'veau Žcaille, filets sur le plats'. An earlier edition of the book (1770) was
auctioned at the Rochebrune sale in 1774 (manuscript list), fetching a rather
modest 4 livres for the three volumes. See appendix J.
1 Boulanger's ()Îuvres
complettes in-8, Amsterdam: Rey, 1775, 4 vols 'reliŽs de mme'.
2 {}L'AntiquitŽ
dŽvoilŽe [by Boulanger edited by d'Holbach], Amsterdam: Rey, 1766, 3 vols
in-12 bound in calf, and 2 ditto in wrappers.
1 ()Le
Christianisme dŽvoilŽ [by d'Holbach], gr. in-8, Londres 1767, 1 vol. bound
in 'veau fauve filets sur le plat'.
1 ()Recherches sur
l'origine du despotisme oriental [Boulanger?, edited by d'Holbach], in-8,
1766, 1 vol. in a ditto binding.
There was also a
piracy, 34 copies of Gessner's Îuvres in French, 3 vols pet. in-12,
'sans frontispice, ni taille-douce'.
No decision is
recorded about the prohibited books, but the Gessner was returned to
Esprit in two batches: twelve on 9 November 1779 and twelve again on 28 January
1780, meaning someone got to pocket ten copies.
(***)
No.2. Prohibited works
sent to the Bastille in April 1783
There are two
documents concerning this affair. The first is a letter from Lenoir to the
governor of the Bastille dated 25 [November?] 178[2?] informing him that the
keeper of the seals had ordered M. Clos, 'lieutenant gŽnŽral de la prŽv™tŽ de
l'h™tel [ˆ Versailles]' to have 'six ballots de livres nouvellement saisis ˆ Versailles'
carted to the fortress (Arsenal, ms. 10303, f.376; the date of this letter is
difficult to read). A note at the bottom of the letter indicates 'arrivŽs au
ch‰teau de la Bastille le vendredi 4 avril 1783 entre deux et trois heures
aprs midi'. The next document is a manuscript copy of a royal order, 'De par
le roy' dated 28 March 1783 commanding Le Vasseur to deliver the lot to the
Bastille. The books are listed, but not the number of copies. Included are the
shipment numbers and identifying initials. All are in Darnton's Corpus
unless otherwise indicated. The list comprises the following books.
Le Contrat
conjugal[, ou Lois du mariage... by Le Scne-Desmaisons], nos.261-65,
marked 'D.P.'.
ThŽrse philosophe
[see Darnton no.678]. This item through the SupplŽment to Raynal is
no.1, marked 'M.D.'.
L'AcadŽmie des
dames [Chorier].
La Chandelle
d'Arras [Dulaurens].
L'ArŽtin moderne
[Dulaurens].
Le Balai
[Dulaurens].
Le Compre Matthieu
[Dulaurens].
Le Gazetier
cuirassŽ [ThŽveneau de Morande].
SupplŽment de
l'abbŽ Raynal [Le Tableau de l'Europe pour servir de supplŽment ˆ
l'Histoire philosophique..., A. Deleyre].
Le Chroniqueur
[dŽsoeuvre], ou l'Espion des boulevards [du boulevard du Temple]
[Also as Le DŽsoeuvrŽ, ou l'Espion du boulevard du Temple, Mayeur de
Saint-Paul; for notices and explanations about the book, see Bachaumont, MŽmoires
secrets, 23 March 1782, xx.137; 13 May, p.247-48; 15 May, p.151-52].
No.578, marked with a backward 'B'.
L'Espion dŽvalisŽ
[Baudouin de GuŽmadeuc]. This and the next item are no.41, marked 'P.V.'.
Lettres de cachet
[Linguet].
[]Procs du comte
du Barry [this could refer to a number of works]. This item and the next
one are no.1, marked 'S.C.A.'.
[]La Pucelle
libertine [La Courtisane anaphrodite, ou la Pucelle libertine;
absent from Darnton. See infra].
[]L'Observateur
franais [probably L'Observateur franais ˆ Londres, ou Lettres...,
by Damiens de Gomicourt; absent from Darnton]. This item and the next one are
no.1, marked 'N.A.H.'.
[]MŽmoire aux
souverains de l'Europe [MŽmoire adressŽ aux souverains de l'Europe
by John T. Needham and Thomas Pownall; absent from Darnton].
SupplŽment ˆ
l'Histoire philosophique [see infra]. This and the rest of the books were
in 'une balle sans marque'.
[]L'Observateur
franais ˆ Amsterdam, ou Lettres... [by Damiens de Gomicourt; absent from
Darnton].
[]Tableau
historique de Laurent Ganganelly [...Ganganelli, souverain pontif sous
le nom de ClŽment XIV par un membre de l'AcadŽmie des Arcades de Rome,
Rotterdam: J. Bronkhorst, 1776, anon.; absent from Darnton].
Le Vrai sens du
Systme de la nature [HelvŽtius or d'Holbach].
Esprit de l'abbŽ
Raynal [Esprit et gŽnie de..., edited and compiled by HŽdouin].
Lettres
hollandaises, ou Correspondance politique [Damiens de Gomicourt].
Le Livre ˆ la mode
[Caraccioli; absent from Darnton, but not a banned book].
(***)
No.3. Books sent from
Dijon to Paris condemned in January 1771
There was one copy
each of the following mostly in wrappers.
Boulanger, ()L'AntiquitŽ
dŽvoilŽe par ses usages (Amsterdam 1766), in-4.
[Voltaire], ()L'IngŽnu,
histoire vŽritable tirŽe des mss du P. Quesnel (Utrecht 1767), in-8.
[Voltaire], ()Discours
de l'empereur Julien contre les chrŽtiens (Berlin 1768), in-8.
[Rousseau], ()Le
Vicaire savoyard, in-8.
[]Histoire de la dernire
guerre, in-12, perhaps the anonymous Histoire de la dernire guerre
commencŽe l'an 1756É which was a book later discussed by the booktrade
administration to see if it could circulate under the aegis of a tacit permit.
But the book was 'rayŽ', meaning not permitted (f.fr.21987, f.5v, 4
February 1785, no.421; also f.fr.21985, same date and number in the regular
sequence of tacit permits, not among those listed as 'Ouvrages entrŽs par la
chambre'). Mettra claims that the Histoire de la dernire guerre is by
Joly de Saint-Vallier (Correspondance secrte, 17 September 1783,
xv.113). See too 24 September, xv.130 et seq. If that be the case, it
seems that the Histoire de la dernire guerre, rather than a title,
refers to the contents of Joly de Saint-Vallier's []Histoire raisonnŽe des
opŽrations militaires et politiques de la dernire guerre, suivie
d'observations sur la rŽvolution qui est arrivŽe dans les mÏurs et sur celle
qui est sur le point d'arriver dans la constitution d'Angleterre, par M. Joly
de Saint-Valier (Lige 1783); BNC (not listed by Weil, Negroni or Darnton).
Absent from Negroni, a []Histoire de la dernire guerre by Pierre
Massuet (Amsterdam: F. L'HonorŽ, 1736-1737), 5 vols is listed by Weil (Livres
interdits, no.405), but it is highly unlikely that would have anything to
do with this condemnation. Indeed over a hundred copies of the Histoire
raisonnŽe were in the Bastille when it fell. See appendix K, A-148. One
copy of the Discours de l'empereur Julien was there too (appendix K,
A-262).
[Voltaire], ()La
Princesse de Babylone (1768), in-12.
Marmontel, ()BŽlisaire
(1767), in-12.
(***)
No.4. Books sent from
Dunkerque to Molini in Paris in September 1772, one copy each
Note that the last
enjoyed a contradictory and impossible double status. A pirated book was one
produced and sold to the detriment of the privilege owner. A prohibited book
could not be qualified as 'pirated' because no one could own the rights. In any
case all of these would have been known to Sartine who probably already had copies.
There was one copy each of:
()Questions sur
l'EncyclopŽdie [Voltaire], seized 'comme prohibŽ';
()L'Evangile du
jour [Voltaire], seized 'comme prohibŽ';
()Histoire
philosophique et politique [Raynal et al.], seized 'comme prohibŽ et
contrefait'.
(***)
No.5. Books shipped
from Toulouse to Jacob in Paris in December 1773
No copy of any of
these ephemera has been located. However there is no doubt about their
existence. This illustrates yet another benefit of the booktrade archives,
providing proof of the existence of works that have not survived at least in so
far as it is today possible to ascertain.
10 copies of a []Requte
de M. Lefebvre du Vaucel, une feuille in-4.
20 []Requte de la
paroisse de [Vauclin?], Isle Martinique, une demi-feuille in-4.
10 []Requte des
paroissiens de la Basse-Pointe, une demi-feuille in-4.
10 []Requte et
observations des RR. PP. dominicains de la Martinique, en 2 feuilles et un
quart in-4.
10 []Requte des
paroissiens de Robert, Isle Martinique, 1 demi-feuille in-4.
10 []Requte des
paroissiens de Notre-Dame de [Bon Port?], feuille in-4.
(***)
No.6. Comparing
registers f.fr.21934 and 21935: selected examples with commentary
This section and the one after it (no.7) underscore via selected
cases the reasons why both registers must be examined in tandem in order to
provide anything approaching an accurate picture of what was going on at
customs and at the Chambre syndicale in Paris. Further clarifications can be
obtained from other archival sources, especially the tacit-permit records. This
section is complemented by section 7 just below, by appendix F (parts 2 and 3)
and by appendix I.
In May 1783 a trunk of pamphlets sent from Saint-Dizier was
confiscated from no less than the cardinal de Rohan. Register 21934 provides
little information other than it concerned a novelty titled []Souscription
pour un acte de bienfaisance. The title is fleshed out by information in
the Registre de la librairie for 1783 (f.fr.21864, 'S', p.2, 16 February
1783), []Souscription pour un acte de bienfaisance [bienfŽsance] et mŽmoire
ˆ consulter pour un enfant sans Žtat civil dont la mre est privŽe de sa
libertŽ et le pre menacŽ d'un procs criminel. M. GŽrard, 'prteur royal
de Strasbourg', had informed the keeper of the seals that a royal decree of the
preceding 27 January had banned the book which was being distributed from Kehl
where it was printed (on Beaumarchais's presses). So orders were given to
prevent the book's circulation in France, and GŽrard was informed of the
decision. A search of the BNC on-line and the CCFr failed to turn up the royal
decree condemning the Souscription pour un acte de bienfŽsance ([Kehl:]
impr. de la SociŽtŽ littŽraire typographique, 1783; copy available in the BNF,
RŽserve, vŽlins.1020). The condemnation might not have been printed. A copy of
the Souscription titlepage and 'Conditions' on blue wrapper paper (two
conjugate octavo leaves in the form of a wrapper) can be examined in Arsenal,
ms.10314, a copy emanating from the depository at the Bastille. The contents
have long since disappeared. The title crops up in an Etat des livres
condamnŽs ˆ tre mis au pilon par jugement du 23 juillet 1785; see appendix
G, no.25, 'Second Žtat'.
The anonymous []Essai sur le prŽjugŽ [subsistant] contre les
familles des condamnŽs pour crime [et sur la confiscation] [Neuch‰tel:
Impr. de la SociŽtŽ typographique, 1783] was confiscated from Laurent in
October 1783, shipped from Besanon in sheets. The Essai was seized
'comme nouveautŽ', and register 21934, f.46 does not record anything further.
F.fr.21935, no.478 does. La Valette was the censor, and the book was 'RayŽ le 4
juin 1783'. The decision is confirmed by another register reporting that all
copies were to be seized and the work's distribution stopped (in a 'registre des
permissions tacites' at 23 June 1783, no.190, f.fr.21985, f.2r;
confirmed by 21984, f.159r). Curiously this entry is among the regular
works rather than among those 'entrŽs par la Chambre'. As unfair as were
prejudice and laws against the families of condemned criminals, it was a topic
that the government did not seem to like at all.
Another book, apparently absent from the customs registers, was
also found unacceptable to the authorities, the anonymous []Le Criminel sans
le savoir, [roman historique et poŽtique, Amsterdam; Paris: Moutard, 1783].
It was struck from the rosters of the tacit permit (f.fr.21985, f.2v,
no.179, at 20 May 1783). However that book was printed in France, possibly in
Paris, so it may well not have passed through customs (copy seen: Arsenal,
8-BL.20244).
The topics of guilt by association, false accusations, action
lightly or wrongly taken by the courts could be touchy, and create problems for
the government. Earlier one of the Registres de la librairie shows that
Philipon de La Madelaine's []De l'indemnitŽ due ˆ un accusŽ reconnu innocent
although approved by M. de La Valette was nonetheless 'rayŽ de la feuille des
permissions tacites' on 18 April 1782 (f.fr.21863, 'D', p.5). It was one of the
books in line for a tacit permit, and one of that authorisation's ledgers also
indicates that it did not pass (f.fr.21982, f.124r, no.2701, 18 April
1782).
Register 21935 lists three works sent in June 1783 to three
different people under the same entry (no.455). The Dissertation sur la
magnesia alba sent to Nyon l'a”nŽ from Valenciennes posed no problem. It
was passed by Missa on 30 September 1783 (f.fr.21935) and ordered turned over
to its owner on 10 October (f.fr.21934, f.44) although f.fr.21935 records that
it was 'Rendu le 8 8bre 1783'. Identifying
this book, obviously an ephemeron, is not an easy task. It might be J.
Teissier's Dissertation sur la magnesia alba et son utilitŽ pour prŽserver
ou rŽtablir la santŽ (BNF, 1732 only) or a related work. The book is
recorded as having first been 'rayŽ' in one of the tacit-permit registers
('Ouvrages entrŽs par la Chambre', f.fr.21984, f.163v, no.446, 30
September 1783). The title is struck, but 'rayŽ' has been scratched out and a
'P' [for 'permis'] inserted over that. The Dissertation was duly signed
for by Dorez, presumably acting for Nyon. The other two books did not fare so
well. One copy of Mirabeau's ()Des lettres de cachet et des prisons d'Žtat
was confiscated from M. de Champignelle 'comme prohibŽ', having been sent to
Paris from Laon. Neither register records any further action; there was no need
to. It was a very banned book. (Copies of it survived the fall of the Bastille.
See appendix K, A-361).
The third book, a []Voyage du pape is more problematic. It
too came from Valenciennes and was sent to M. Leclerc. Register 21934 simply
indicates 'comme nouveautŽ', with no further action recorded. That is of itself
significant because with no 'jugement sur la suspension' and no record of the
book having been returned to anyone, we can suspect the worst. Indeed,
f.fr.21935 indicates that Le Voyage du pape was banned.
Such is the title
reported by registers 21934 and 21935. A problem emerges centred on the work
itself. What was it? The short title might refer to a []Recueil des pices
les plus intŽressantes et les plus curieuses qui ont paru ˆ l'occasion du
voyage et du sŽjour de sa saintetŽ le pape Pie VI. ˆ Vienne with an imprint
in the copy seen reading, 'Vienne 1783'. If this be not the book designated by
the register, it would in any case probably have been banned, what with its
unmitigated praise of Martin Luther (p.203 et passim).
Another candidate
could be an anonymous compendium titled []Recueil des actes concernant le
voyage de notre trs-saint pre le pape Pie VI, ˆ Vienne with its revealing
false imprint, 'Rome: de l'impr. de la Chambre apostolique, 1782'. Supporting
this supposition is the fact that over fifty copies were incarcerated in the
Bastille. (See appendix K, A-341.) At 29 May 1782 Mettra provides a review of a
book concerning the pope's visit to Vienna, []Dialogue entre Joseph II,
empereur des Romains, Giovanni Praschi, pape sous le nom de Pie VI, et le comte
de Lauraguais, a thirty-seven page pamphlet with an imprint reading, 'Rome
1782' (Correspondance secrte, xiii.65-67; a copy is recorded in the
BNC). A book treating the pope, among others, with considerable levity and
disrespect would most certainly have been looked at askance by the French
authorities. And it was. A shipment sent to Valade from Valenciennes was
confiscated on 19 November 1782 with three books in it, Eclairecissment sur
la tolŽrance, Vie du comte Venceslas [Azewuski?] (Wenceslas
Rzewuski, by L.-A. de Caraccioli, Lige: J. J. Tutot, 1782), and our Recueil
des actes. The first passed. The second was ordered returned 'ˆ l'Žtranger'
on 7 May 1783. So back it was sent, to Tutot in Lige, on the 23rd. (The censor
was Guyot.) The third was 'rayŽ' on 28 March 1783 and marked 'non rendu' in the
Chambre register (f.fr.21934, f.42). In the arrival ledger a note reads 'renvoyŽ
le 7 mai 1783' (21935, no.408); Camus was the censor.
Linguet was a constant source of annoyance to the police. Issues
of his periodical, the Annales politiques were confiscated in October
1783 as a new work. No decision is recorded in f.fr.21934, f.46. Register 21935
indicates 'dŽfendu' after the original reason for the confiscation, 'comme
nouveautŽ' (no.480). But nothing is recorded about what happened to the copies.
When no.72 of the Annales was confiscated in November 1783 as a
'nouveautŽ', Lenoir issued an order permitting it to be returned (f.fr.21934,
f.47; f.fr.21935, no.483). Other numbers of the periodical which wound up in
customs were mostly given the green light. The inspector in Nancy was worried
about a prospectus for the periodical since it bore no indication of the
printer, the place or any other identifying mark. Chassel wrote the head office
for instructions, and 'Monseigneur' 'a dŽcidŽ qu'il pouvait tre distribuŽ'
(f.fr.22040, 'A', p.15; 21 October 1787). Chassel was also a royal censor for
theology (Almanach royal, 1785, p.488). By the by Louis XVI had
considerable respect for Linguet's periodical. But that didn't prevent it
getting into trouble. Archives concerning the booktrade are sprinkled with
documents showing that the authorities paid close attention to Linguet and his
works. (See for example JF.1682, p.243-).
Further ambiguities can be clarified via register 21935.
F.fr.21934, f.53 records that the anonymous []D”ner du Lion d'or, [ou
Aventures singulires arrivŽes en juillet 1783 au Sr. Manzon, alias
Fort-en-Gueule, rŽdacteur de la gazette intitulŽe, Le Courrier du Bas-Rhin]
was confiscated from Delalain in September 1784 as a novelty (f.53). Also found
in the box was []La Riposte ˆ Manson. No decisions at all are provided. Ledger
21935 on the contrary, with two entries devoted to this affair (no.556bis and
557), informs us that the Riposte ˆ Manson was a short work comprised of
a sheet and a half, that the D”ner was an octavo pamphlet. The latter is
more than that, comprising xvi + 175p. The false imprint indicates Athnes:
Jean Qui-Pique, ˆ l'Aiguillon, 1784 (OCLC). Furthermore Guidi was assigned to
both, and both were 'rayŽs' in October. More information is provided by the
tacit-permit registers. First of all, the status of the D”ner is
confirmed as 'rayŽ' ('Lion' spelt 'Lyon'). Second, the Riposte reads La
Riposte ˆ Mouzon and was indeed struck. Guidi was the censor (f.fr.21984,
f.fr.21985, no.556-557, 14 October 1784). The spelling of Mouzon's name in the
tacit-permit records helped me identify this book, the anonymous []Lettre de l'imprimeur ˆ Manzon dated 31 January
1784 (n.p. n.d).
Thus we should not be surprised to find in
Poinot's inventory of books warehoused in the Bastille, begun about a year
after the fortress was stormed in 1789, an entry pinpointing fourteen copies of
the D”ner au Lion d'or, 'Athnes 1784' (Arsenal, ms. 10305, last
document in the box, p.28, no.314). An additional forty-two copies were found
in the depository of banned books kept at the abbaye de Saint-Germain (same ms,
towards the end, no.72). More information was available in the 'second Žtat',
towards the bottom, p.[7]. (The document has disappeared.) See too appendix K,
A-314.
In September 1784 a
basket sent from Pierry containing a []Plan, ou Essai d'Žducation gŽnŽrale
was confiscated from Mme de VaurŽal. It was a novelty that someone was not
happy about so it was struck from the tacit-permit registers in October. The
censor was Saineville. According to RŽtif de La Bretonne, this censor was particularly
nasty. Testud, in his erudite edition of Monsieur Nicolas, RŽtif's
autobiography filled with details about the inner workings of the censorship,
informs us that 'Cadet de Senneville' was a royal censor from 1762 to 1787,
concentrating on jurisprudence (ii.1673, n.1[2]). He is confusing Cadet de
Saineville with Vallet de Senneville also a censor in the same domain. (RŽtif
spells Cadet's last name as Senneville, ergo the confusion.) Cadet de
Saineville so spelt his name (censor's report in n.a.fr.22260, f.159-60).
Saineville is listed in the annual Almanach royal as a censor through
the 1790 volume. With the demise of the censorship, censors ceased to be
listed; there is no section devoted to them in the Almanach royal for
1791 although a section devoted to the Chambre syndicale remains together with
information about customs and inspections. By 1792 everything specifically
concerned with the booktrade administration as it existed under the ancien
rŽgime has disappeared.
A note in f.fr.21934
shows that the adverse decision was benevolent: 'ˆ renvoyer ˆ Bouillon quand M.
de VaurŽal le demandera suivant la lettre de M. de Villedeuil du 10 juillet
1785' (f.fr.21934, f.53; f.fr.21935, no.563). At first it was thought that this
book might refer to L.-R. Caradeuc de La Chalotais's []Essai d'Žducation
nationale, ou Plan d'Žtudes pour la jeunesse, 1763, often republished. Two
of the tacit-permit registers at 16 April 1784 clarify the situation. They
contain an entry for a Plan, ou Essai d'Žducation gŽnŽrale et nationale, ou
la meilleure Žducation ˆ donner aux hommes de toutes les nations, 'par M.
le comte de VaurŽal' [Bouillon: SociŽtŽ typographique, 1783]. It was refused by
the keeper of the seals himself during a work session on 24 March 1784. Note
that the work session preceded the book's being recorded on the 'feuille des
permissions tacites' assuming the date be exact (f.fr.21984, f.172v,
no.349; ditto 21985, f.7v). The latter entry adds a note: 'et empcher
la distribution'. Those entries are among the books presented in the regular
way for a tacit permit, not among the 'Ouvrages entrŽs par la Chambre'. We also
find that a book titled Plan d'Žducation nationale was 'rayŽ' on 20
October 1783, it too among books in the regular sequence (f.fr.21984, f.164r,
no.237; 21985, f.4r). It is not known whether that is the same work. A
point of speculation, perhaps the author, having been refused after having
presented his book in the normal way as a manuscript, had it printed abroad and
then tried to import it.
What appears to be the
final decision makes its way into the tacit-permit registers on 28 October
1784. The book is listed as a Plan, ou Essai d'Žducation gŽnŽrale par M. de
VaurŽal, under the confiscation number (563), and its status as 'rayŽ' by
Saineville is confirmed (f.fr.21984, f.184v; 21985, f.12v). In
any case over a hundred copies of this book were in the Bastille when the
fortress fell. See appendix K, A-141.
Register 21934, f.55
has an entry dated 24 September 1784 for []Mon porte-feuille retrouvŽ [Bruxelles
1785] confiscated from Bailly since it was a novelty. The book arrived in a
packet sent from Rouen. The 'jugement' allowing the book to pass was made in
January 1785, and it was duly picked up (signature illegible but not Bailly's).
Why the delay? The answer can be found in f.fr.21935, no.570. The book was
given to Blin de Sainmore for his opinion. It was at first refused, 'rayŽ' on
14 October 1784 then 'permis' on 15 January 1785, and handed over on 21
January. The book was also entered into the tacit-permit registers under the
usual heading of 'Livres entrŽs par la chambre' and struck from the 'feuille
des permissions tacites' (f.fr.21985 and f.fr.21984, no.570, 14 October 1784).
On 26 September 1786 a
packet was confiscated from Thouin. According to f.fr.21934 it contained 'des
prospectus'. The other register, at no.816, fleshes out the entry, []Prospectus
sur la vente de plusieurs espces de grains (unidentified). No decision is
recorded.
Sometimes an entry is
found in one register and not in the other. F.fr.21935, no.517 records the
fifth volume of Brissot de Warville's {}Bibliothque philosophique du
lŽgislateur, du politique, du jurisconsulte as having been confiscated in
April 1784, 'comme nouveautŽ'. The person to whom it was sent is not mentioned.
La Valette was the censor. The decision is clear, 'rayŽ le 30 juin 1784'. But a
note in the first column indicates a change of heart over a year later: 'Na il y a une dŽcision donnŽe au
travail du 6 juin 1785 qui autorise le renvoi ˆ Neuch‰tel', meaning the book
could be returned whence it was sent assuming the expeditor was still
interested at that point. There is no such entry in f.fr.21934 or even a
mention of the Bibliothque philosophique that could be found. It is
listed however in the tacit-permit register housed at f.fr.21984 among the
'Ouvrages entrŽs par la Chambre' at 30 June 1784 as no.517, coinciding with
information in f.fr.21935. Its status is qualified as 'rayŽ', and the title has
been crossed out.
The []RŽflexions en
faveur de l'humanitŽ (by Roubaud) is entered with an []Avis sur les
fleurs blanches in f.fr.21935, no.534, 2 July 1784. The first is not
mentioned at all in f.fr.21934, f.51. The RŽflexions en faveur de l'humanitŽ
appeared with no name or date (32p. in-8; drop-title). The BNC suggests c.1783
'd'aprs les lettres citŽes' and the Bibliothque minicipale de Lyon, c.1784;
the later date is the probable one. Conlon adds a third location in Montpellier
(1783, no.1678). The BNF's copy is a later gift. (Nothing is known about the author.)
Four copies in paper wrappers, stitched and uncut can be consulted in the
Arsenal in a box of various printed items originally stored in the Bastille
(ms. 10313). At least 190 copies survived the fall of the Bastille. See
appendix K, C-28. The Avis sur les fleurs blanches would be a medically
oriented ephemeron. The BNC includes a Compte-rendu au public sur de
nouveaux moyens de guŽrir les maladies vŽnŽriennes... ensemble des inductions
salutaires pour la guŽrison des fleurs blanches (Paris: l'auteur, 1782).
Probably this was not what was of concern to the authorities in 1785. The Avis
sur les fleurs blanches is absent from Conlon (1783-1784). See appendix K,
A-331 which records the title of what is probably this ephemeral work.
The two books were confiscated
from Abraham on or shortly before 2 July 1784, having been sent in a packet
from Lyon. Both registers indicate 'rayŽ' on 28 September 1784. (Missa was the
censor.) Ledger 21934 is more specific about the second work: 'Avis de deux
pages in 4o sur les fleurs blanches,
sans titre' meaning without a titlepage.
The Fleurs blanches
duly arrived at the Bastille as is proven by an Etat des livres condamnŽs ˆ
tre mis au pilon, par jugement du 23 juillet 1785 (Arsenal, ms. 10305,
document towards the bottom of the box, 'troisime Žtat', last page). That
several copies of the RŽflexions en faveur de l'humanitŽ were stored in
the Bastille shows that that work too was part of the depository even if it is
absent from the Etat des livres condamnŽs. The two works were entered into a couple of the tacit-permit
registers where they are listed under the familiar rubric of 'livres entrŽs par
la chambre', and both are qualified as 'rayŽs' (f.fr.21984 and f.fr.21985, same
date and number as cited). For the Etat des livres condamnŽs, see
appendix G, no.25.
Also missing from
f.fr.21934 is the Amours d'Imma et d'Eginhart confiscated from Valade on
15 June 1784 as a novelty. This work is not included in OCLC, CERL, the BNF
on-line, in the CCFr, or in Gay's Bibliographie. It sounds like a novel,
so Martin, Mylne, and Frautschi was read entry by entry for 1783-1784 (new
works and re-editions), and nothing was noted resembling the Amours d'Imma [or
'd'Emma'] et d'Eginhart. Thanks to Theux de Montjardin's remarkable Bibliographie
ligeoise, it was possible to identify this as Les Amours d'Imma et
d'Eginhart, romance accompagnŽe de la musique, publiŽe par M. de St.-PŽravi,
tirŽe du Po‘te voyageur et impartial, ou Journal en vers (Lige: J.
Bernimoulin, 1784), 14p. in-8. (This ephemeron escaped the attention of
Conlon.) Les Amours d'Imma is listed among the 'ouvrages entrŽs par la
Chambre' in one of the tacit-permit ledgers at 7 August 1784 (f.fr.21984, f.179v,
no.540). The entry indicates that it was passed by Dudin on 7 August 1784, and
f.fr.21935, no.540 shows that it was 'rendu' on 25 August. (The register of
'ordres', that is decisions, at f.fr.21936, no.1372, 25 August 1784, includes
this work, but exceptionally, the decision box is empty).
There are also
instances of items missing from f.fr.21935 but recorded in f.fr.21934 such as
some Vers sur la mort de S. A. le prince-Žvque de Lige. (The poem
passed.) This would refer to the Vers sur la mort de son altesse
Franois-Charles, des comtes de Velbruck, prince-Žvque de Lige, tirŽs du...
Pote voyageur et impartial, ou Journal en vers, dont il va para”tre...
(Lige: L.-J. Bernimoulin, 1784); BNC. This is a publication paralleling Les
Amours d'Imma. The BNF gives this as anonymous. Theux de Montjardin (Bibliographie
liŽgeoise, c.686) identifies the author of this seven-page ephemeron
as the French poet, Jean-Nicolas-Marcellin GuŽrineau de Saint-PŽravi, author of
different kinds of works including the Pote voyageur et impartialÉ
(Bruxelles; Lige: L.-J. Bernimoulin, 1784).
(***)
No.7. More
confiscations at customs, selected problems and cases
The purpose of this section is to present selected additional
examples of books that got into trouble based largely on records in f.fr.21934
and 21935. These illustrate problems of different kinds and help flesh out our
knowledge about books at customs and the censorship. This
section is complemented by section 6 just above, by appendix F (parts 2 and 3)
and by appendix I.
Changes in status means that scholars are today faced with fluctuations
about attitudes towards a book. Officials at the time also had difficulties to
overcome. Mably's []Observations sur le gouvernement et les lois des
Etats[-unis] de l'AmŽrique [Amsterdam; Paris: Hardouin, 1784 and Amsterdam:
J. F. Rosard, 1784] sent from Valenciennes was confiscated as a novelty from
Jombert in June 1784 (f.fr.21935, no.527) and/or from FroullŽ (f.fr.21934,
f.50); the booksellers were evidently partners in this importation. What
appears to have happened, deduced from the slightly different color of the ink
used to record the decisions in register 21935, is that Saineville, the first
censor mentioned, refused to pass the book so it was 'rayŽ sur la feuille des
permissions [tacites]'. A second censor's name was inserted below the first,
and Lourdet apparently registered his approval in October. However there is no
signature in the receipt box. A tiny note scribbled next to the entry number in
f.fr.21935 helps clarify what happened: 'quŽ [communiquŽ] ˆ M. le Cte de Vergennes le 8. juin 1784 p. avoir
l'approbation d'un censeur ecclŽsiastique'. Largely the same information is
provided by a tacit-permit ledger among 'Ouvrages entrŽs par la Chambre', dated
7 August 1784 (f.fr.21984, f.179v). The abbŽ Lourdet was not a censor in
theology but rather in 'belles-lettre' (Almanach royal, 1784, p.497).
Lezay-MarnŽzia's []Le Bonheur dans les campagnes
[Neuch‰tel; Paris: Prault, 1785] was confiscated as a novelty in July 1784 from
no less than the postmaster in Charenton, sent from Besanon. It was assigned
to Sauvigny who did not pass it so the book was 'rayŽ' in October. But a note
explains that the book could be allowed through thanks to a decision reached in
May 1785. However cancels were required (f.fr.21934, f.51; f.fr.21935, no.539).
The ledger of tacit permits simply records that the book was 'rayŽ' from among
books listed in the regular sequence, not from among the 'Ouvrages entrŽs par
la Chambre' (f.fr.21984, f.184v, 28 October 1784, no.359). The latter
figure is an error for 539. Not being inserted in the list of the 'non entrŽs'
is also probably a mistake. Only Sauvigny's decision is entered in this
register.
Here is another curious case. The anonymous []Lettre d'un
gentilhomme de province ˆ un duc et pair, a thirty-page octavo pamphlet
[n.p. n.d.] sent to Moutard (from where is not specified), was confiscated in
August 1788 as a 'nouveautŽ' in one register (f.fr.21935, no.1023), in the
other 'comme n'Žtant point permis' (f.fr.21934, f.81). Since it does not appear
to be listed in the tacit-permit register for August 1788 (f.fr.21985), we can
only assume that 'point permis' is correct rather than 'nouveautŽ'. No censor's
name is recorded in register 21935. The book was to receive special treatment.
In August it was decided to refuse permission to have it circulate
(f.fr.21935). Moutard nonetheless signed for it, but his signature was crossed
out (f.fr.21934). In the same color ink as Moutard's signature and in his hand
are the words 'non rendus'. The upshot is that the book was not allowed through.
Some records, albeit ambiguous can lead to probable conclusions. A
packet sent from [Torcy?] was confiscated from Gauguery on 27 April 1779. It
contained a new work, some []Trs humbles remontrances ˆ M. le lieutenant
gŽnŽral de police (unidentified). The entire shipment was turned over to
NŽville at his command. There is little question but that this work was not
permitted. Register 21935, no.88 does not provide the name of a censor or a
decision. This title appears to be absent from the tacit-permit register at
f.fr.21984; March 1779 through March 1780 was checked. Conlon includes the
following, but there is no way of ascertaining whether this is the work in
question: Trs humbles reprŽsentations ˆ monsieur le lieutenant gŽnŽral de
police de la ville de Paris pour le supplier d'envoyer ˆ l'h™pital non pas les
filles des rues mais celles des appartemens, mars 1779 (1779, no.578; BN).
What appear to be incomplete entries or ones with errors can pose
problems. Loubat de Bohan's {}Examen critique du militaire franais
[Genve 1781; 3 vols in-8] was sent to Cellot from M‰con. It was confiscated as
a novelty in June 1786 and 'rayŽ' a couple of months later (no.769; f.67).
There must have been a change of heart, for f.fr.21934 has Cellot's holograph
signature in the receipt box. In one of the tacit-permit registers, under the
heading of 'Livres entrŽs par la chambre', this book is recorded as 'rayŽ', and
the title has been struck (f.fr.21985, no.769, 16 August 1786).
On 22 August 1786 Jean-Denis Lanjuinais's []MŽmoire sur
l'imprescriptibilitŽ, les caractres distinctifs des diffŽrentes espces de
dixmes [d”mes et sur la prŽsomption lŽgale de l'origine
ecclŽsiastique de toutes les d”mes tenues en fief, Rennes: Mlles Vatar,
1786] was confiscated from Belin 'comme nouveautŽ, sent from Caen. Register
f.fr.21935, no.803 indicates it was rendu on 5 September then, above that,
'rayŽ' on 13 September with an explanatory note in miniscule letters, 'attendu
la dŽfense de vendre les MŽmoires'. Register 21934 indicates that an
order was issued on 5 September 1786 to return the books which were signed for
by 'Philippe pour Mr Belin' (f.69). In this case, the prohibition seems to have
come too late. The book was also entered into one of the registers of the tacit
permit under the heading of 'Livres entrŽs par la chambre' (f.fr.21985, no.803,
13 September 1786). Further information is provided about this case. There is a
note reading 'nŽant' and another by way of explanation: 'attendu la
dŽfense de vendre les mŽmoires imprimŽs pour les procs'. The confiscation of
the book and its removal from circulation were based on principles rather than
on the contents, principles that may have been in part been motivated by the
ultimate fate of most of the briefs published in the wake of the affair of the
queen's necklace. (The issues concerning the printing and publication of briefs
are discussed elsewhere as are those dealing with Mme de La Motte-Valois and
company).
There are many books which were apparently not collected, that is
have no signature in the receipt box and for which no final outcome is
recorded. Not being collected does not necessarily mean they were banned
although that is a distinct possibility in a number of instances. The {}MŽmoires
de M. le comte de Saint-Germain, 'imparfait' (a book we have met before)
was sent in eight packets from Sedan to Laporte in July 1786. The copies were
confiscated 'comme prohibŽs'. A note in f.fr.21934 states that an order had
come down on 19 July 1786 to 'les vendre ˆ la Chambre et en remettre le prix ˆ
M. La Porte'. Laporte's signature is affixed to the receipt box but whether for
the money or for the books is not known (f.68). The point of selling off books
for the benefit of the owner escapes me. Register 21935 devotes an entry to
this (no.780), recording that the book was seized as 'non permis', and no final
outcome is reported.
In July 1786 Mirabeau's []De la caisse d'escompte [n.p.
1785] was confiscated from Lavoisier, sent from Sedan. Ledger 21935 mentions
that it was 'dŽfendu' (no.785) but records nothing further. F.fr.21934, aside
from differing as to the reason for the confiscation ('comme nouveautŽ'), has a
note: 'venu ˆ la Chambre le 26 avril 1786, parmi les non retirŽs de la Douane'
(f.68). This item was included in a list of packages titled 'Etat des non
reclamŽs de la douane du 26 avril 1786' in one of the shipment registers
(f.fr.21924, f.68, no.186).
Information about these kinds of books can also be gleaned from
other sources. For example at the back of an Etat des balles et ballots mis
au pilon at the Bastille, there are a couple of lists comprising an 'Etat
des paquets non reclamŽs ˆ la Chambre' and another 'ˆ la douane' (Arsenal
ms.10305, towards the bottom of the box).
Records of prohibited books can be found among all kinds of
archival materials, not just those concerned with customs. NŽe de La Rochelle,
a Paris bookman, received multiple copies of the []PrŽcis des procs-verbaux
des administrations provinciales depuis 1779 jusqu'en 1788. Ouvrage contenant
le rŽsumŽ des objets traitŽs dans les diffŽrents bureauxÉ [Strasbourg:
Levrault, 1788, 2 vols in-8]. During a work-session on 25 August 1788, the
administration decided to refuse NŽe's request that he be allowed to sell the
book (f.fr.21937, f.100r).
(***)
No.8. Books in trouble
from f.fr.21937
The following is a
sampling of books that were either banned or got into trouble culled from a
register that, although it is dated 1785, extends from c.1783/4 into
1788 (f.fr.21937). It is described infra. These entries are limited to books
not discussed elsewhere.
Abraham Trembley's []Instructions d'un pre ˆ ses enfans sur la
religion naturelle et rŽvelŽe was the subject of complaints from the
archbishop of Paris late in 1787 or early 1788. A decision was reached on 14 January
1788 to send the book to the shredder (f.fr.21937, f.90v): 'l'archevque
de Paris dŽnonce un ouvrage qui se dŽbitoit chez le Sr. Buisson, qui contenoit
des principes contraires aux dogmes de la religion catholique, intitulŽ
Instruction[s] d'un pre ˆ ses enfants sur la religion naturelle etc. / au
Pilon.' There were various editions of this book, several dating to 1775-1779
and the last, Genve; Paris: Buisson, 1787, 3 vols in-8. The book had already
gotten into trouble in 1779 and was struck from the 'feuille des permissions
tacites' (f.fr.21984, 'Ouvrages entrŽs par la chambre', no.92, 17 July 1779).
It was part of a shipment sent to Hardouin (from where is not specified), and
everything was allowed through except the four copies of the Instructions
which were condemned to the shredder on 18 May 1780 (f.fr.21935, no.92; 21934,
f.14-15). Postel was the censor.
The same fate was shared by the abbŽ Joseph-AndrŽ Brun de La
Combe's []Le Triomphe du nouveau monde, rŽponses acadŽmiques formant un
nouveau systme de confŽdŽration fondŽ sur les besoins actuels des nations
chrŽtiennes commerantes, et adaptŽ ˆ leurs diverses formes de gouvernementÉ
par l'ami du corps social [Paris: l'auteur, 1785, 2 vols in-8]. The book
was sequestered by Villeneuve, the Toulouse inspector, in July 1787. Ninety-two
copies had been seized from Broulhiet. The decision in Paris was to shred the
lot (f.fr.21937, f.62r). The reason for this judgement was that the book
had been condemned by a decree emanating from the king's council on 5 May 1786.
It had originally been published by virtue of a privilege after a censor signed
an approbation. The reasons for the change of heart are multiple, the most
important being that 'l'ouvrage mme annonce une doctrine contraire ˆ l'esprit
de la religion, aux principes du gouvernement, et contient des erreurs
dangereuses, qui ne permettent pas de laisser subsister ledit privilge, et de
tolŽrer le dŽbit et la distribution dudit livre'. A notice about the
interdiction was ordered entered into ledger 22 on f.266 of the privilege
register at the Chambre syndicale by the syndic, Leclerc. Indeed, on p.266 of
that register (today housed at f.fr.21969), in the margin of the transcription
of the 'Privilge gŽnŽral no.187' registered on 18 February 1785, we find a
note in Leclerc's hand as follows: 'Par arrt du conseil du 5 mai 1786, le
prŽsent privilge a ŽtŽ rŽvoquŽ / Le Clerc / Syndic'. According to the
transcription, the privilege was awarded to 'Le S. L.' comprising a 1777 author
privilege valid forever (unless the rights were sold); given in Paris on 12
January 1785, signed by Le Bgue for the king. (The 'feuille des jugements'
indicating that the book had passed the censorship is dated 24 December 1784;
marginal note.) The original manuscript of this decree with Hue de Miromesnil's
holograph signature can be perused in the Archives nationales (E.2628, no.86).
In April [1787?], the abbŽ Robin requested permission to
'distribuer un prospectus par lequel il [annonoit?] une Histoire gŽnŽrale des
femmes, ou Tableau historique de leurs moeurs, etca'. The answer was a
resounding 'nŽant' (f.fr.21937, f.102v). This work is unidentified. It
is doubtful that it would be [a version of] Rolet's Tableau historique des
ruses et subtilitez des femmes o
sont na•fuements representŽes leurs moeurs, humeurs, tirannie, cruautez,
desseins, inuentions, feintises, tromperies, & generalement leurs artifices
& practiques : le tout confirmŽ par histoires arriuŽes en France de nostre
temps, non moins veritables que tragiques & prodigieuses (1623).
A 'SociŽtŽ de gens de lettres' wanted to open a
subscription for a periodical titled La MatinŽe, ou la Feuille de
l'imagination; 'nŽant' (f.fr.21937, f.103r, 19 [January?] 1788). Not
surprisingly the title is absent from Sgard's Dictionnaire des journaux.
On 21 April [1788] the
sieur Salomon asked that the officers of the Chambre syndicale turn over two
cases containing multiple copies of some Principes de traduction. The
answer was 'no' (f.fr.21937, f.104r; unidentified).
Windsor was the owner of a periodical titled Courrier
universel anglois, and he wanted a ten-year continuation of the privilege.
The request was refused (f.fr.21937, f.107r, 3 March [c.1787]).
Neither the title nor the owner is mentioned in Sgard's Dictionnaire des
journaux. The title is absent from the Catalogue collectif des
pŽriodiques (French union catalogue); Union list of serials (USA and
Canada); COPAC; OCLC; OCLC WorldCat union list of periodicals; the British
library catalogue.
In spite of the
liberal times earlier prohibitions were maintained, especially in the
provinces. When Fouquet confiscated the Analyse [raisonnŽe] de Bayle [by
Marsy and Robinet] from Le Roy, a printer in Caen, it was decided to send it to
the shredder (f.fr.21937, f.82r, 24 October 1787).
Books could get into
trouble in various ways. The chevalier de Pougens was angry for having been
'compromis dans une brochure intitulŽe Le Naufrage du Halsewell (Éode;
Le Cygne, le renard et l'aigle, fable, by the baron Pierre de La Montagne,
Paris: Royen, 1787, a 16p. ephemeron). Two leaves were ordered cancelled, a
quarter of the whole (f.fr.21937, f.77r, 10 December [1787?]).
(***)
No.9. Books seized at
the gates of Paris in 1767
D'HŽmery writes that
the marquis d'Argens's books were tolerated. However, in spite of what he
reports, d'Argens's books were seized because they were considered
reprehensible.
For example the
minutes of the commissaire ChŽnon and d'HŽmery's inspection on Sunday, 25
January 1767 of books seized at one of the 'barrires' (f.fr.22098, no.72)
include such juicy items as:
Le Prince Apprius
[Histoire du prince Apprius extraite des fastes du monde, attributed to
Godard de Beauchamps]
Les MÏurs
[Toussaint]
De l'esprit
[HelvŽtius]
La Tourire des
CarmŽlites [Histoire galante de la tourire des CarmŽlites, ouvrage fait
pour servir de pendant au Portier des Chartreux attributed to Meusnier de
Querlon]
VŽnus dans le
clo”tre [Éou la Religieuse en chemise attributed to the abbŽ Du
Prat]
L'Art de bien
baiser [unidentified; title absent from Negroni, Darnton, Weil's Livres
interdits. It may have something to do with one of Pietro Aretino's works.
It is improbable that this would refer to Baculard d'Arnaud's L'Art de
foutre, ou Paris foutant, a play dating to the early 1740s.]
These and more are
jumbled with Voltaire's Lettres philosophiques, Rousseau's Lettres de
la montagne and his Contrat social, and other bestsellers by the two
philosophes. Part of the haul were four copies of d'Argens's L'Espion
chinois.
(***)
No.10. Books in trouble
1767-1774 from administrative correspondence
A perusal of letters
between Sartine and d'HŽmery from 1767 to 1774 (f.fr.22154) shows that the
following books were forbidden or otherwise restricted.
It must have been most
frustrating for those involved with the production and distribution of La
Chalotais's []Quatrime mŽmoire to be told that it could not be
advertised (24 January 1767). On 17 May 1767 an Arrt du conseil imposed
silence on various lawyers involved in the case. The anonymous novel, []Voyage
de Robertson [aux terres australes] was not allowed to circulate
without the insertion of expensive and labour-intensive cancels (11 March
1767). The []RŽponse des soldats du rŽgiment des gardes franoises [aux
Loisirs d'un soldat du mme rŽgiment, anon.] suffered a similar fate; pages
21-23 were to be replaced (1 August 1767).
Outright prohibitions
were more direct. Voltaire's []Pices relatives ˆ BŽlisaire: banned,
banned, very banned (28 and 31 October 1767). So was a reprehensible engraving
centred on 'la chretŽ des bleds' (2 February 1767). Periodicals were forever
getting into trouble, Le Courrier du Bas-Rhin (11 November 1767;
reinstated on 18 December 1767), the Gazetin de Bruxelles (9 December
1767), and many others. Quillau's edition of a []MŽmoire contre
l'inoculation was confiscated on 26 December 1767. So much for the
investment in time and money. Perhaps this is the anonymous Lettre ˆ
monsieur *** contre l'inoculation, qui combat le mŽmoire historique de M. de La
CondamineÉ sur l'insertion de la petite vŽrole, Nancy: Valleyre fils 1763,
132p. in-8. But that is a supposition.
Some []RŽflexions
d'un universitaire had been sent to different people via the 'petite
poste'. Sartine wanted his inspector to conduct a thorough investigation (6
December 1767). Subsequently an 'arrt de parlement' dated 9 December 1767
condemned the RŽflexions d'un universitaire en forme de mŽmoire ˆ consulter
concernant les lettres patentes du 20 aožt 1767 to be shredded and burnt. A
copy of the offending book can be consulted in the BNF (R.8372). Some books
were banned before they were printed, such as 'la dŽposition d'un nommŽ Canon,
procureur au parlement de Bretagne qui vient d'tre entendu dans l'affaire de
M. de La Chalotais'. D'HŽmery was to ensure that it was never published (13
August 1767). See too appendix K, A-65.
None of the works
mentioned in the preceding paragraphs is included in Weil's Livres interdits.
(For the RŽflexions d'un universitaire, see Negroni no.465).
(***)
No.11. Books
confiscated from La Noue on 9 November 1781
These are enumerated
in an Etat des balles et ballots mis au pilon: Žtat des livres suspendus
at the Bastille (Arsenal, ms. 10305 towards the bottom of the box). A note at
the top left reads 'reu le 25 janvier 1783'. No year date is recorded for the
La Noue affair, but 9 November 1781 is the date of the confiscation of a
shipment of books sent to Laporte from Valenciennes. The number of copies
recorded for those books is the same showing that La Noue's carton was actually
Laporte's shipment or at least part of it. See the main text.
The contents are as
follows, with the number of copies indicated in parentheses meaning that they
had, at that point anyway, not yet been destroyed. The books are included in
Darnton's Corpus except for Paul Jones, Le Mercure turc
and the Histoire d'un pou franais. La Religieuse en chemise is
listed as Venus dans le cloitre ou la ReligieuseÉ
Erreurs de la
vŽritŽ (100 copies).
Commentary: Des
erreurs de la vŽritŽ, ou les Hommes rappelŽs au principe universel de la
scienceÉ by the marquis Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin; various editions. A
'clef' appeared in 1789. Several copies were in the Bastille when it was taken.
See appendix K, A-20.
[]Paul Jones, ou
ProphŽties sur l'AmŽrique (6).
Commentary: Ésur
l'AmŽrique, l'Angleterre, la France, l'Espagne, la Hollande, etc. É y joint le
RŽve d'un Suisse sur la rŽvolution de l'AmŽrique, l'an V de l'IndŽpendence
[1781]. The BNC indicates that this is by the prince de Burliabled. One record
erroneously gives 1796 as the real date; another, 1782. 1781 is correct. The
cataloguers confused a French revolutionary date with a French adaptation of an
American one. A record in OCLC mentions that the Rve is signed 'JŽr™me
HelvŽtius, marchand d'allumettes en gros ˆ Basle en Suisse'.
[]Le Pou franais
(13).
Commentary: Histoire
d'un pou franais, ou l'Espion d'une nouvelle espce tant en France qu'en
Angleterre, contenant les portraits de personnages intŽressants dans ces deux
royaumes et donnant la clef des principaux ŽvŽnements de l'an 1779 et de ceux
qui doivent arriver en 1780, by Delauney; many editions with variant
titles.
Le Procs des trois
rois (7).
Commentary: Le
Procs des trois rois, Louis XVI de France-Bourbon, Charles III
d'Espagne-Bourbon, et George III d'Hanovre, fabricant de boutons, plaidŽ au
tribunal des puissances europŽennes; par appendice, l'Appel au pape; traduit de
l'anglais, attributed to Linguet or a Bouffonidor. The latter is perhaps a
pseudonym for Ange Goudar. There were at least two editions.
Philosophie de la
nature in 6 vols (1).
Commentary: De
la philosophie de la nature, ou TraitŽ de morale pour le genre humain, tirŽ de
la philosophie et fondŽ sur la nature by Jean Claude Izouard Delisle de
Sales; complicated publication history; many editions.
L'Orang-outang
d'Europe (13).
Commentary: É, ou
le Polonais tel qu'il est, ouvrage mŽthodique qui a remportŽ un prix d'histoire
naturelle en 1779, n.p. n.d.; anon. Listed according to Darnton no.506.
There are no copies cited in OCLC, BLC, CCFr, BNC, COPAC, Conlon (1779-1781
checked, under anonyms). Under Karl Friedrich Benkowitz, the NUC includes Der
Orang-Outang in Europa, oder der Pohle, nach seiner wahren Beschaffenheit, eine
methodische Schrift welche im Jahr 1779 einen Preis in der Naturgeschichte
davon getragen hatÉ, Californien [i.e. Berlin?] 1780 with one location
(John Carter Brown Library, Providence; ditto in RLIN with no mention of
Benkowitz). At least six copies of the Orang-outang were in the Bastille
when it fell. See appendix K, A-215.
[]Le Mercure turc
(2).
Commentary: An
ephemeral periodical whose first number appeared 1 March 1781, lasting through
the end of spring? (Sgard, Dictionnaire, no.953; article by Franois
Moureau).
Le Postillon de
Versailles (24).
Commentary:
n.p., c.1781 according to the NUC as reported by Darnton, no.566. The
NUC entry reads 'Le Postillon de Versailles, [Versailles] 1781. Library
has nos. 1-12'. The only holding library is the University of Wisconsin at
Madison. The anonymous author of the notice in Sgard's Dictionnaire des
journaux amply indicates why this periodical would not have been allowed to
pass; no copy is located (II.1027, no.1133).
Le Gazetier
cuirassŽ (1).
Commentary: By
ThŽveneau de Morande; see infra.
Vie privŽe de Louis
XV (7).
Commentary: By
Mouffle d'Angerville; see the main text.
Lettres
philosophiques de Voltaire (13).
Commentary: See
the main text.
The reader might be
interested to learn that albeit a banned book Voltaire's Lettres
philosophiques were openly sold at auction in Paris. See for example the Catalogue
des livres de feu monsieur Garnier de Montigny, dont la vente se fera en
dŽtail, suivant l'indication des affiches (Paris: Gabriel Martin, 1759),
'Belles-lettres', p.43, no.687: 'Lettres philosophiques de M. de Voltaire. Amst.
1734. & 1738. 2 v. in 12.' No.688 is for the RŽponse aux Lettres
prŽcŽdentes, in-12.
Religieuse en
chemise (7).
Commentary:
Complicated publication history. See the main text and Darnton.
(***)
No.12. A manuscript of Voltaire's MŽmoires, c.1783-1787
The MŽmoires pour servir ˆ la vie de Voltaire, an attack on
Frederick II the Great posed all sorts of problems. It displays in loving
detail the king's homosexuality and gay goings-on at court (among other
things). Voltaire's manuscript came into Beaumarchais's hands in time for
publication in the Kehl OEuvres compltes. The connundrum was how to
include the book without adding to the many difficulties already facing the
publisher. Beaumarchais was to wait until 1789 before including this book in
the seventieth and last volume of the Kehl edition.
In the author's collection are two quarto notebooks probably part
of a more extensive series. Each is tied with a blue silk ribbon. They date to
the 1780s. The first has a framed titlepage (of sorts) bearing 'Memoires
secrets / pour / servir ˆ la vie privŽe de Voltaire / Ecrits par lui mme /
supprimŽs de l'Edition de Beaumarchais / par ordre du Gouvernement. / [double
rule] / Premier Cahier'. The second's reads 'Suite des MŽmoires secrets / pour
/ servir ˆ la vie privŽe de Voltaire / Ecrits par lui mme / quatrieme et
dernier / Cahier / [double rule]'.
Each titlepage also bears the number '18' at the top left, well
outside the frame.
The manuscript is a fairly faithful rendition of the MŽmoires
with some material placed in notes. It is interesting for spelling out that
Beaumarchais was under direct orders not to include the work in the Kehl Voltaire.
That he did so in 1789 is probably a reflection of the more liberal times. See
the discussion of Voltaire's OEuvres in the main text.
A curiosity about this manuscript is the many scribes who wrote
it. It is also on different papers. The watermarks are difficult to decipher.
The only one I could make out reads 'B[four balls clumped together]Maimenaid fin'. This would be Beno”t
Malmenaide from Riom, a firm active especially during the 1770s and '80s
(Gaudriault, Filigranes, p.239).
Style, presentation, paper and handwriting date this manuscript to
c.1783-1787.
In both notebooks the leaves are nested bifolia. In the first the
initial leaf (titlepage on the recto) is conjugate with the last, a blank; the
second is conjugate with the penultimate one, and so on. The different hands
show that bifolia were given out to individuals who knew exactly what to copy
on their pages, and then the notebook was assembled and tied. The same pattern
holds true for the second notebook. The procedure, likely a form of the 'pecia'
system (common in the later Middle ages), was obviously streamlined. Perhaps
the manuscript was produced in a shop functioning like a printing
establishment, that is set up to churn out multiple copies of a same work.
Could the number '18' refer to the eighteenth copy in a series or to a customer
code? A comparison with other manuscript copies might help elucidate the
problem.
(***)
No.13. Books condemned
by the parlement on 6 March 1789 (ms. AN, AD/III.27A, no.128 and printed
document f.fr.22102, no.56)
These ephemera are all
listed in the BNC with the exception of the ArrtŽ de MM. les membres de la
Bazoche d'Angers. Titles have been fleshed out via that source. The ArrtŽ
is included in the CCFr (BM d'Angers and BM de Nantes only, 7p. in-8) as ArrŽtŽ
de MM. les membres de la Bazoche d'Angers, du 3 fŽvrier 1789 (n.n. n.p.).
The parlement was condemning a series of works centred on troubles in Brittany.
[]CatŽchisme des
parlemen[t]s
[]Avis aux
Parisiens. The decree indicates eleven pages for this pamphlet, so it is
probably the Avis aux Parisiens et appel de toutes convocations
d'Etats-gŽnŽraux o les dŽputŽs du troisime ordre ne seroient pas supŽrieurs
aux deux autres (n.p. n.d.); BNC.
[]Discours de MM.
les commissaires des Žtudiants en droit et jeunes citoyens de Bretagne... [Du
dimanche 20 janvier].
[]DŽtail de ce qui
s'est passŽ ˆ Rennes le 26 janvier 1789. The DŽtail was also
condemned by a decree emanating from the 'Conseil d'Žtat du roi' on 26 January
1789.
[]Discours prononcŽ
ˆ l'H™tel de la Bourse, dans l'assemblŽe des jeunes gens de Nantes
(supposedly by 'Omnes-Omnibus').
[]Journal de route,
Nantes [le 28 janvier 1789].
[]Pices
intŽressantes. This could well refer to Pices intŽressantes, tant
imprimŽes que manuscrites, d'un Breton, roturier de Rennes, envoyŽes ˆ son ami,
dŽputŽ du Tiers, prŽsent ˆ Paris, en date du 3 fŽvrier 1789 (no titlepage);
BNC.
[]Protestation et
arrtŽ de MM. les Žtudiants en droit de la ville d'Angers [du 3 fŽvrier
1789].
[]ArrtŽ de MM. les
membres de la Bazoche d'Angers.
[]ArrtŽ des jeunes
citoyens de la ville d'Angers.
[]Lettre de M. C.
F. de Volney [Chasseboeuf de Volney], ˆ M. le comte de S......
T....... [Serrant].
Affaire de Bretagne:
[]La Sentinelle du peuple.
(***)
No.14. Some of the
books condemned by the bishop of Soissons (Fitz-James) in a 'mandement' dated 1
August 1759
1. The Commentaire
latin du Fr. Hardouin de la compagnie de JŽsus sur le Nouveau testament.
2. Trois parties de
l'Histoire du peuple de Dieu par le P. Isaac-Joseph Berruyer de la compagnie de
JŽsus.
3. Plusieurs
libelles publiŽs pour la dŽfense de la seconde partie de cette Histoire.
The 'plusieurs
libelles' are spelt out in the Mandement. One is absent from Negroni's
title list although the Mandement itself is included under 'Actes'
(no.552). The item overlooked is a DŽfense du P. Berruyer, jŽsuite, contre
un libelle intitulŽ Remarques thŽologiques et critiques, etc. [sur l'Histoire
du peuple de Dieu, depuis la naissance du Messie...] adressŽes ˆ M*** [A. de N.
et Ch. de T.] (Avignon 1755; 1759).
Berruyer's Histoire
du peuple de Dieu was a highly controversial (and very long) book. By 1760
the Jesuits were squirming in hot water. One of their most relentless foes was
our Fitz-James who, incidentally, was the only French bishop to demand the
suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1762. Those interested in his attack can
have the pleasure of perusing for themselves the c.1200 dense quarto
pages. Parts are amusing, sui generis. After having ripped his victims
to shreds, the indignant bishop exclaims against the 'indŽcence' of the 'stile
romanesque' adopted by Berruyer in his rewording of the gospel.
I cannot resist citing
a bit of Fitz-James's rubbish: 'La premiere Partie est Žcrite toute entiere
d'un stile si indŽcent, si profane et si romanesque, que pour peu qu'on
connoisse l'esprit de la Religion et le langage des Livres saints, on ne peut
la lire sans indignation. A peine un volume suffiroit-il pour rapporter tout ce
qui s'y trouve de dŽplacŽ, et mme de scandaleux, soit dans les rŽcits, soit
dans les portraits, soit dans les discours que l'Auteur met dans la bouche des
saints Patriaches. Couvrons d'un voile une multitude d'endroits qui pourroient
allarmer la pudeur et blesser les oreilles chastes', and on and on with
carefully selected citations displayed to carry his points (ii.551).
As mentioned the Mandement
was itself condemned. See A. Jean, Les Evques et archevques de France
depuis 1682 jusqu'ˆ 1801 (Paris 1891), no.88, p.333-34. The actual
'mandement' (vs the materials attacking the books) dated 1 August 1759
condemned nine books centred on the Berruyer/Hardouin controversy (ii.574-75).
Incidentally the RLD copy of the Mandement has cancels and contemporary
manuscript notes. Other priests also condemned Berruyer and Hardouin's books
such as the archbishop of Lyon in a Mandement et instruction pastorale...
(Lyon: AimŽ Delaroche and Claude Cizeron, 1763; 24 December 1762), but that
document comprises a mere 124 quarto pages. The archbishop (Antoine de Malvin
de Montazet), ordered the entire document to be read out loud in all the
monasteries and convents in his diocese, and the conclusion in every church.
Hardouin's book is titled ...Commentarius in Novum testamentum...
(Amsterdam: Henri du Sauzet, 1741; in-folio).
The Berruyer case had
far-reaching consequences. Benedict XIV condemned the second part of the Histoire
du peuple de dieu. So did the Paris parlement along with the Analyse
raisonnŽe de Bayle (by Marsy and Robinet) and La Christiade, ou le
Paradis reconquis (by La Baume-Desdossat). The theologians in the Sorbonne
got in their two cents. See Negroni. Those interested in perusing original
documents (printed and in manuscript) about this affair which upon occasion
became intermingled with the even greater scandal of Rousseau's Emile
might wish to begin with JF.316, the entire volume continued by JF.317 with
printed matter. (JF.318 begins with financial transactions between Louis XV and
Mme de Pompadour, and that volume has nothing in it about Berruyer's book.) See
too JF.1683, f.256-97 (considerably more information about the Berruyer case),
f.353 et passim. JF.1683 is devoted to 'Censure et librairie: ouvrages
poursuivis 1752-1765' (titlepage created in November 1876 when the many items
were assembled); however documents centring on Fougeret de Monbron's Le
Cosmopolite carry the materials beyond 1765.
Many other pamphlets
and books were condemned in the wake of Berruyer's Histoire du people de
Dieu by an Arrest de la cour de parlement dated 22 February 1764 in
JF.1616, f.373-86 (printed document); another copy in JF.1610, f.192-205 with
some manuscript material about the same case just after; yet another copy in
JF.403, f.117- with considerable ms. documentation about the Instruction
pastorale [de M. l'archevque de Paris] 'faite depuis l'Arrt de la
Cour du 21 Janvier 1764', also targeted by the parlement's 'arrest'. Other
condemnations with documentation relating to them are scattered throughout the
Joly de Fleury collectanea mentioned. Needless to say there is a great deal
more in other volumes such as JF.1687 centred on the Sorbonne. Thus there is
documentation about many things, such as Montesquieu's L'Esprit des lois
(letter of 13 July 1752, f.11), HelvŽtius' De l'esprit (3 February 1759,
f.57), and more.
Unless one has read
the texts and is intimately acquainted with specific cases, it can be
bewildering to read about condemnations of ecclesiastical effusions, of all
kinds of well intended documents emanating from establishment sources (such as
the Arrest de la cour de parlement which condemned the bishop of
Langres's Lettre pastorale to be tortured -- 'lacŽrŽ' -- and burnt by
the executioner; 3 March 1764), and even condemnations of condemnations! For a
wide range of these, those interested may wish to plow through JF.1683 and
similar collectanea. For information and explanations about banned papal
pastoral letters, see Negroni, p.260-61.
But, like so many
other books, the Histoire du peuple de dieu was finally tolerated.
Copies were even stamped as piracies. When Nyon l'a”nŽ imported fourteen copies
of the book from Lyon in October 1779, they were confiscated 'comme estampillŽs'
and ordered returned to Lyon on 18 May 1780 (f.fr.21935, no.164; 21934, f.21).
(***)
No.15. Books condemned
by the parlement on 6 September 1775 by an Arrt de la cour du parlement
The following titles
are absent from Darnton's Corpus. The edict can be consulted in JF.466,
no.94. There are other documents concerning this affair (manuscripts) which
help clarify its importance. The classifying folder (no.91) explains:
'DifficultŽ entre les religieux bŽnŽdictins de la CongrŽgation de Saint-Maur, et
dom de Vienne, au sujet d'Žcrits manuscrits et imprimŽs de ce moine tendans ˆ
altŽrer la subordination des infŽrieurs; suppression de ces Ecrits'. Dom de
Vienne is Charles-Jean-Baptiste d'Agneaux, called dom Devienne (1728-1792), a
benedictine historian.
Perhaps the
condemnation was carried out thoroughly or maybe the offending texts all
remained in manuscript in spite of what the edict records. I could not find
copies of these documents under the titles presented by the decree (OCLC, BNF,
CCFr, RLIN) possible exception made of the last one. The authors of condemning
edicts were very careful about being precise about titles and other matters.
The first four works are characterised as printed works produced by printers in
Paris. The wording of the edict shows that among the first six some were
printed; others remained in manuscript: 'pour tre lesdits Ecrits imprimŽs
& autres ˆ la main, envoyŽs par ledit dom de Vienne au Suppliant, &
joints ˆ ladite RequŽte, supprimŽs comme sŽditieux, calomnieux &
injurieuxÉ'.
PrŽcis des
contestations portŽes au parlement de Paris par dom de Vienne, incipit
'victimes des plus noires calomnie', explicit 'deviendra l'opprobre des mes
Adversaires'; printed by Stoupe.
[]Instruction sur
le provisoire, pour dom de Vienne, incipit 'que les Corps Religieux sont
imprudens', explicit 'avec lesquels il a essayŽ de les peindre'; printed by
GrangŽ.
[]Addition,
incipit 'Dom de Vienne a envoyŽ', explicit 'ou que la Cour ne lui accorderoit
pas sa demande'; printed by GrangŽ.
[]MŽmoire pour dom
de Vienne, contre dom La Vaissire, prieur de Sainte-Croix de Bordeaux,
incipit 'chargŽ depuis vingt ans', explicit 'j'ai l'honneur d'tre'; printed by
GrangŽ.
[]MŽmoire pour dom
de Vienne, contre dom de La Vaissire, incipit 'l'affaire qui m'a ŽtŽ suscitŽe',
explicit 'qui puissent m'tre communiquŽs'; no printer indicated.
'un acte
extrajudiciaire du [blank space] Aožt 1775, sans Žnonciation de jour, de mois,
signifiŽ par le nommŽ Michel, Huissier, signŽ pour pouvoir, dom de Vienne'; no
printer indicated.
[]Observations
importantes by dom de Vienne, incipit 'Dom de Vienne', explicit 'ˆ la Cour
son autoritŽ suprme'; signed by dom de Vienne, Alloneau procureur; printed by
GrangŽ. Perhaps Devienne's Observations importantes de l'auteur du Salut de
la France, [s.l.n.d.?], 4p. in-8 (CCFr, BM-Lyon).
(***)
No.16. More decrees,
further condemnations
The following notes,
provided in chronological order, are largely based on materials in f.fr.22180.
For a breakdown of the contents, detailed yet very incomplete, see Coyecque, Inventaire,
ii.434-40. More edicts of condemnation are available in f.fr.22098, 22101,
22102 and elsewhere. See no.22 in this appendix and infra. References to the
entries below are provided for items omitted from Coyecque's Inventaire
or in cases of ambiguities. Only listed are pamphlets and books absent from
Darnton's Corpus or when interesting information can be added. Titles
are marked in the usual way to indicate their absence from the Corpus.
However if listed in the corpus, the sources cited below were not exploited by
Professor Darnton. In the case of a raid resulting in confiscations,
punishments and so on, the information has been fleshed out with a document
that was part of the papers found in the Bastille after it fell. See the first
entry at 26 August 1777. Omitted are 'partial proscriptions', for example when
a passage was struck from a printed book with the exception of one by
Beaumarchais (at 18 January 1777). A few examples of banning books before they
were published or possibly even composed are included. These are largely in the
form of manuscript notes on small pieces of paper, but some are printed
warnings. Most are omitted. Information derives from f.fr.22180 unless
otherwise noted.
On 22 February 1776, a
decree was issued by the Conseil d'Žtat du roi condemning the following:
1. []RŽflexions des
six corps de la ville de Paris, sur la suppression des jurandes [Paris
1776; 22p.; OCLC]
2. []MŽmoire ˆ
consulter sur l'existence actuelle des six corps et la conservation de leurs
privilges (impr. de Quillau, 1776, more than one edition; CCFr) followed
by a Consultation dŽlibŽrŽe ˆ Paris le 1er fŽvrier 1776 signed by
[Jacques-Vincent] Delacroix
3. []Addition au
MŽmoire ˆ consulter sur l'existence des six corps, pour les marchands drapiers
signed by M.e Delacroix [There exists a SupplŽment au MŽmoire ˆ
consulter des six corps pour la communautŽ des couturires.]
4. []RŽflexions des
ma”tres tailleurs de Paris, sur le projet de supprimer les jurandes signed
by M.e Dareau avocat, followed by a Consultation dŽlibŽrŽe ˆ
Paris le 17 fŽvrier 1776 signed by Saulnier [RŽflexionsÉ, Paris: P.
G. Simon, 1776; 15p.; OCLC]
The document then
states that the three items were printed by Simon although four are named. The
first bore no indication of who printed it.
5. []Observations
prŽsentŽes par les ma”tres composant la communautŽ des graveurs-ciseleurs de la
ville et faubourgs de Paris, sur l'Ždit de suppression des corps des marchands
et des communautŽs des arts et mŽtiers signed by M.e Leroi de
Montecli avocat [Leroy de MontŽcly], printed by P. Delormel [14p. in-4; BNC].
As usual the edict
contains explanations: 'Si pour le bien de la justice et la dŽfense des
Parties, il est permis aux Avocats de faire imprimer leurs ouvrages, cette
permission ne peut s'Žtendre au-delˆ des affaires contentieuses, qui sont ou
doivent tre portŽes dans les Trinunaux; ceux qui ont signŽs lesdits ƒcrits
imprimŽs ont Žvidemment excŽdŽ les bornes de leur ministre, en livrant ˆ
l'impression des ouvrages qui n'ont et ne peuvent avoir trait ˆ aucune
contestation judiciaire. Celui des cinq ImprimŽs si-dessus rapportŽs, intitulŽ,
RŽflexions des six Corps[É], Žtant sans nom d'Auteur et d'Imprimeur, se
trouveroit par cela seul dans le cas de la proscription, comme contraire aux
Rglemens' (p.2). Worrisome was that these constituted attacks against the
legislative branch of the government within the jurisdiction of the crown. So
all these items were proscribed. This case is mentioned by Mettra, Correspondance
secrte, 16 March 1776, ii.425. Many a controversy arose in the wake of
Turgot's reforms, or attempted reforms to be more precise.
On 23 February 1776,
the parlement banned, tortured and burned the remains of []Les InconvŽniens
des droits fŽodaux, Londres; Paris: Valade, 1776 [by P.-F. Boncerf with
material by Montesquieu].
The explanations of
why the parlement took this action are lengthy. The pamphlet (70p. in-8) has an
alternate title, Éou RŽponse d'un avocat au parlement de Paris, ˆ plusieurs
vassaux des seigneuries de.... de.... etc. (from the head-title). It
received a glowing review in the Gazette des tribunaux, concluding with
'C'est ˆ regret que nous nous bornons ˆ une aussi courte notice d'un Ouvrage
qui nous paro”t d'autant plus intŽressant, qu'il semble concilier la gloire,
les intŽrts du Souverain, du Peuple et des Seigneurs eux-mmes' (1776, no.12,
p.183). Valade was called into the parlement's committee to justify himself. He
had received a tacit permit for the book so he showed the syndic Lambert's certificate
so stating (JF.479, f.31r, from a dossier about this affair and its
aftermath). Notice about all this was sent to the comte de Maurepas, the keeper
of the seals and to Malesherbes. The author and censor, Boncerf and Mairobert,
were also questioned. The case and its ramifications dragged on for quite some
time. At issue were feudalism and the privileges of the nobility. (Several
princes and peers attended the initial meeting of the assembley of the chambers
of the parlement.) Other important people became involved, the reforming Turgot
for example. In a nutshell, the book was composed and published before its
time. A dozen years later it would have been generally applauded.
On 2[?] March 1776,
the police ordered that no 'factum' by or concerning 'M. Saffray de BoslabbŽ,
avocat du Roi ˆ Pontoise' was to be printed (ms. note, 22180, no.12). However
at least two had been, but before the order, []Au roi et ˆ nosseigneurs de
son conseil ([Paris:] Guillau, 1773) and []Plaidoyer pour Mre [ma”tre]
Charles-Adrien de Saffray de BoslabbŽ,É conseiller du roi et son avocat au
bailliage de Pontoise, contre Mre Jacques de Monthiers [and others]
([Paris:] J.-B. Brunet et Demonville, [1773]); BNC.
On 16 March 1776, the
'conseil d'Žtat' suppressed []'le mŽmoire et consultation en faveur du S.r
Nicole', and nobody was allowed to print it (ms. note, 22180, no.11). As far as
can be ascertained, this condemnation was not printed.
On 9 September 1776,
we find an 'arrest du conseil qui supprime une []requte signŽ Nouel pre et
fils et M.e Drou, avocat aux conseils comme injurieuse au
commissaire Michel, ˆ la sŽnŽchaussŽe d'Angoulme, attentoire ˆ l'autoritŽ
royale, &c. AffichŽ le 14 octobre 1776' (ms. note, 22180, no.30; printed
decree available in the BNF).
On 25 October 1776, a
warning was issued that a 'MŽmoire pour M. Douguy, ancien gendarme de la garde
contre M. de Pracontal' was not to be printed (ms. note, 22180, no.34).
On 1 November 1776, a
royal edict 'du conseil d'Žtat du roi' banned the following anonymous works:
1. []Examen d'un
Žcrit intitulŽ, Consultation pour les curŽs du diocse de Lisieux, ˆ l'occasion
du mandement de M. l'Žvque de Lisieux du 20 dŽcembre 1773 et de son
instruction pastorale du 13 avril 1774
2. []Lettres de
Philets, curŽ catholique dans le diocse de R*** en Angleterre, ˆ M.rs
les curŽs de Lisieux en France, protestant contre les mandement et instruction
pastorale de leur ŽvqueÉ, Londres 1775
3. []Confession de
M. l'abbŽ D***, auteur des Lettres de Philets, pour servir de supplŽment, de
rŽtractation et d'antidote ˆ son ouvrage, ˆ M.rs les curŽs
protestans du diocse de LisieuxÉ, Louvain: Paul Veri, 1776.
The decree, like
others of its kind, was registered at the Chambre syndicale by being copied in
full in the official journal and signed by Lambert, one of the adjoints
(f.fr.21860, f.21-22 / 514-15). For the original, see AN, E.2528, f.408,
no.157. There are printed copies in the BNF.
On 1 November 1776, an
Arrt du conseil revoked the privilege of Trottier's Commissionnaire
gŽnŽral (f.fr.21860, f.28-29 / 521-22). This decree remains unpublished.
There is no record of the offending book in the BNC, CCFr or in OCLC; it may
never have been published. Probably this does not refer to Trottier's Le
Collecteur, ou Manire de faire en France, ou par tout ailleurs, rŽguliŽrement,
ˆ peu de frais et suivant une proposition exacte avec les propriŽtŽs,
richesses, valeurs et facultŽs de chaque gŽnŽralitŽ, Žlection et paroisse et
d'un chacun la rŽpartition, division, subdivision, assiette et perception des
imp™ts. Par M. Trottier, Paris: Impr. de L. Jorry, et se trouve chez
l'auteur, 1775 (CCFr: BM de Besanon, UniversitŽ de Poitiers).
On 1 November 1776, Les
Cent questions d'un paroissien was condemned to the shredder by a royal
decree (f.r.21860, f.30 / 523v). This is probably Louis Guidi's Les
Cent questions d'un paroissien de M. le curŽ deÉ pour servir de rŽplique ˆ la
suite de son dialogue sur les mariages des protestans, Amsterdam: Moutard,
1776 (OCLC). Copies survived the fall of the Bastille; see appendix K, A-76.
On 3 December 1776, a
printed note went out to all printers in Paris informing them that it was
'recommandŽ de n'imprimer aucun MŽmoire sur l'Affaire de MM. de Guigne, Tort,
Delpesche, et autres qui y auraient rapport' (22180, no.3, no.40).
On 16 December 1776, a
printed form letter, with a holograph signature (NŽville, director of the
booktrade), stipulated that the []prospectus for the quarto Pellet edition of
the EncyclopŽdie was suppressed, and no copies of the book itself were
to be sold. The edition was Felice's, 'Žtabli ˆ Yverdon' (22180, no.42).
On 18 January 1777,
the parlement condemned a 'discours' contained in a 'requte' inserted in the
[]Suite de la justification du sieur de Beaumarchais.
This is an interesting
case. The 'factum' is a long one (title-leaf + [1]-64p. + 1f. blank in-4,
printed by Quillau, 1776; colophon). There was more than one edition of this Suite
(copy seen, JF.478, f.75-82). The parlement, in its printed document (an Extrait
des registres du parlement dated as above) states that since Beaumarchais
had been refused permission to speak before the court, he should have been
aware that his speech would not have been allowed to be published, so the
'requte' was suppressed but not the rest of the document. The Requte du
sieur de Beaumarchais pour tre renvoyŽ dans ses fonctions (head-title),
occupies p.51-61 comprising an introduction and a 'Discours pour tre prononcŽ
devant l'AssemblŽe des deux Chambres du Parlement'. The speech (the entire
'requte' in fact) is by Beaumarchais. As the law prescribed, a lawyer's name
is at the end of it, after the indication of the author's signature, 'Me.
ALLONNEAU, Procureur' ['en la Cour']. A letter from Miromesnil to Joly de
Fleury sheds additional light on this affair (JF.478, f.74).
Monsieur
Je vous envoye un
imprimŽ intitulŽ: Suite de la justification du S.r de Beaumarchais.
C'est un recueil de diverses pices au nombre desquelles il se trouve ˆ la page
51, une requte du S.r de Beaumarchais, qui paro”t n'avoir ŽtŽ faite
et imprimŽe que dans l'intention de diffamer. Les passages les plus
condamnables sont aux pages 55, 56 et suivantes. On voit par la consultation
qui termine le recueil que c'est M.e Ader qui en a autorisŽ
l'impression. Cet avocat mŽrite au moins une sŽvre rŽprimande. Et un imprimŽ
aussi diffamatoire que celui-ci aux pages dŽsignŽes est digne de
l'animadversion de la justice. Je suis
Monsieur
Votre
bien humble et aff.nŽ serviteur
[holograph
signature] Miromesnil
A V.lles le 4 janvier 1777
[the addressee] M. le Procureur G.al
There
are other documents concerning this affair in JF.478 (f.73-93). The dossier
concerning Beaumarchais is followed by one centred on Luneau de Boisjermain's
attempts to start up a SociŽtŽ typographique 'dont le Roi lui a dŽfendu la
publicitŽ'.
On 30 January 1777, the following were
suppressed by the parlement:
1. []Question d'Žtat et nouveau mŽmoire pour
le sieur Jean-Louis de Poilly, sŽcularisŽ, contre la dame veuve de Poilly de
ChantereineÉ, Auxerre: Fournier, 1776.
2. []SupplŽment au mŽmoire intitulŽ Question
d'Žtat pour le sieur de PoillyÉ, Paris: Didot, 1776.
3. []RŽponse ˆ la dame veuve Poilly de
Chantereine, Paris: Didot, 1776.
4. []MŽmoire pour Jean-Louis de Poilly,
appelant et demandeur, contre la dame de ChantereineÉ, Paris: Didot, 1776.
5. a []pamphlet in the form of a letter, no
printer indicated, signed by de Poilly, beginning with 'Monsieur, Rien au
premier coup d'oeil'.
For the pamphlets
published about this affair, see the CCFr.
On 3 February 1777, Les Foyers, ou
l'AssemblŽe des comŽdiens franois and a MŽmoire contre M.
d'Angivillers, intendant des b‰timents were forbidden to be printed (ms.
note, 22180, no.44). Rutledge or Mercier's Les ComŽdiens, ou le Foyer,
comŽdie en un acte et en prose did indeed see the light, Paris: successeurs
de la veuve Duchesne, 2440; the veuve Duchesne was alive and well. The imprint
is a reference to Mercier's L'An 2440, also banned. Other edition:
Londres 1777. The MŽmoire remains unidentified.
On 7 February 1777 the
Paris parlement decided that the []Motifs de ne point admettre la nouvelle
liturgie de M. l'archevque de Lyon [136 + 2p., BM de Lyon] was to be
ripped to shreds and burnt.
On 13 March 1777, a
decree from the parlement suppressed 'un imprimŽ contenant la dŽnonciation
faite par un de messieurs le 28 fŽvrier dernier, ledit imprimŽ comme fait
contre les rglemens de la librairie' (ms. note, 22180, no.54). The decree was
printed and clarifies that it concerned 'le rŽcit fait par un de messieurs lors
de l'AssemblŽe des Chambres du 28 FŽvrier dernier', 'commenant par ces mots: Vendredi
28 FŽvrier, et finissant par ceux-ci: Que le tout seroit communiquŽ au
Gens du Roi'. This concerned the former jesuits who were causing
problems at the time so an edict and a royal declaration were issued. The
affair centring on the 13 March decree is clarified somewhat by a letter from
Miromesnil to Joly de Fleury (JF.1611, f.328). More about this, related issues
and the jesuits is available in the same collection. The offending pamphlet is
at f.313-16, the full drop-title reading Vendredi 28 fŽvrier, les Chambres
furent assemblŽes, sur la demande de MM. de la Troisime chambre des enqutes.
Mr Andran, un des prŽsidens de cette Chambre adressant, suivant l'usage, la
parole au premier prŽsident, dit (8p. in-12?; microfilm only seen; OCLC
indicates an octavo). That is followed by a manuscript of the same. Here is
Miromesnil's letter.
Monsieur,
Votre lettre du 28 du
mois dernier par laquelle vous me faites part que vous avez ŽtŽ chargŽ de
prendre communication d'un rŽcit fait par un de Messieurs au nom de sa chambre.
Tout ce qui a ŽtŽ
dŽnoncŽ au Parlement n'est autre chose que ce dont je vous ai dŽjˆ parlŽ ainsi
qu'ˆ M. le Premier PrŽsident, ˆ l'exception cependant de la brochure sur
l'Apocalypse, du Journal de Bouillon et de la Gazette d'Hollande [all in
trouble; see 11 April 1777 just below for the Plan de l'Apocalypse].
Vous savez que le
gouvernement a pris des mesures pour dŽconcerter les intrigues en cas qu'il y
en ait, ce que je ne crois pas possible. Au surplus, les faits sur le nombre
d'ex-jŽsuites rassemblŽs ˆ Paris sont exagŽrŽs, et MM. du Parlement ne sont pas
bien informŽs ˆ cet Žgard. Par rapport ˆ l'objet de l'Ecole militaire, il n'y a
aucun fondement.
Je suis, Monsieur,
votre bien humble et aff.nŽ serviteur.
[holograph signature]
Miromesnil
A Vlles le
1 mars 1777
M. le Procureur G.al
On 21 March 1777, a
condemnation ('sentence') was issued by the Ch‰telet concerning Delisle de
Sales's Philosophie de la nature. The bookseller Saillant was acquitted.
Le Prieur and Lottin l'a”ne, printers, were admonished to be more circumspect
in the future. Le Bas, the censor of the last three volumes, was admonished.
The abbŽ ChrŽtien, censor of the first three volumes, was sent to prison.
Finally the author was banished forever, and all his property was to be
confiscated. A note in another hand mentions he was sent to prison (ms. note,
22180, no.55). As far as is known, this condemnation has not been printed.
(Many 'sentences' were.) Lottin made a valiant effort to justify himself in a PrŽcis
pour le sieur Augustin-Martin Lottin l'a”nŽ, imprimeur-libraire du roi et de la
ville, appellant d'une sentence rendue au Chastelet de Paris, le 21 mars 1777
filled with interesting tidbits ([Paris]: Lottin l'a”nŽ, 1777; signed by Lottin
l'a”nŽ and Le SŽnŽchal, procureur. Le Febvre-d'Ammecourt's name also appears at
the end, but he was not a signer; printed document in f.fr.22102, no.7).
This was not the first
condemnation of the Philosophie de la nature. A Sentence du Ch‰telet
qui condamne un livre imprimŽ en six volumes in-12, ayant pour titre: De la
philosophie de la nature, ˆ tre lacerŽ et bržlŽ en Place de GrveÉ dated 9
September 1775 received wider publicity since it was printed (by Antoine
Boudet; colophon). The document goes into considerable detail as to why the
book was not acceptable. (It was published over several years with title
variants, all spelled out.) Many of the original documents concerning this
important affair, 1775-1777, can be consulted in JF.478, f.135-52. From those
we learn that ChrŽtien was 'bl‰mŽ' versus being banned; that, although Delisle
de Sales was banned forever, he was indeed sent to prison. There are letters by
him, documents in his defense, administrative correspondence, and so on. A
large part of JF.478 is concerned with caterpillars and what to do about them.
The dossier about the Philosophie de la nature in the Joly de Fleury
collection is complemented by another important one in the Archives nationales,
AD/III/27A in and about no.44.
On 11 April 1777, the
parlement banned a []Plan de l'Apocalypse, 1773, 93p. See above at 13
March 1777.
On 3 May 1777, a
decree from the king's council banned the []Lettres de madame de Bellegarde
ˆ monseigneur le marŽchal de Biron sur le conseil de guerre tenu aux Invalides
en 1773. The original decree is signed by Miromesnil (holograph; AN,
E.2541, f.202); the printed document bears Amelot's name. The Lettres is
by Mme Monthieu de Bellegarde; it appeared without an imprint.
On 6 May 1777, a
decree from the 'conseil d'Žtat du roi' banned 'un libelle' titled []MŽmoire
ˆ consulter et consultation pour le Sr Langlade, ancien directeur des
vingtimes de la gŽnŽralitŽ de Caen (ms. note, 22180, no.61). A copy of the
printed decree is available in f.fr.22102, no.10. The offending book remains
unidentified.
On 16 May 1777, a
decree from the king's council banned a []MŽmoire pour le sieur d'Entomas
d'Armentieu, juge de la prŽv™tŽ royale de Born, contre le chevalier Dejean,
capitaine de dragons, commandant le dŽtachement de la lŽgion de DauphinŽ.
The original, signed by Miromesnil, is in AN, E.2538, f.258. The offending book
remains unidentified.
On 16 May 1777, an Arrt
du conseil d'Žtat du roi banned a couple of pamphlets concerning the
municipal administration of Lyon. They were classified as 'd'autant plus
condamnables qu'ils semblent n'avoir eu d'autre but que de rendre odieux par
des imputations injurieuses, fausses et calomnieuses le chef de
l'administration municipale et d'autres personnes employŽes dans ladite
administration dont la conduite aprs l'examen le plus scrupuleux a paru
irrŽprochable'. So banned were 'un cahier imprimŽ adressŽ aux officiers
municipaux de la ville de Lyon commenant par ces mots: []La Patrie est en
danger, et finissant par ces mots latins: Quintus fabius maximus populo
de eligendis consulibus. Un autre imprimŽ commenant par ces mots: []Il
est prodigieux et finissant par ceux-ci: et qu'ils maudiront ˆ jamais
lui et toute sa postŽritŽ; un autre imprimŽ intitulŽ []Discours prononcŽ
par M. l'abbŽ Verasco; un autre Žcrit intitulŽ []MŽmoire prŽsentŽ ˆ M.
l'intendant de Lyon par les syndics des corps de commerce; un petit Žcrit
en vers intitulŽ []Ode aux citoyens de Lyon avec des nottes. Ou• le
rapport, le Roi Žtant en son conseil, a supprimŽ et supprime les libellesÉ'.
The document was signed by Miromesnil, with a big 'bon' in another hand at the
very end (AN, E.2538, f.266-67). This decree has not been published. None of
these pamphlets is cited by Conlon (1776-1777). They are absent from OCLC and
CCFr. The BM-Lyon houses a Sentence de la sŽnŽchaussŽe de Lyon, qui supprime
un libelle, intitulŽ : Guillin de Pougelon Ode aux Citoyens de Lyon, (Sept.
1775), Lyon: Impr. du roi, 1775. That document might help clarify what the Ode
is, or was. (Guillin de Pougelon was a lawyer).
On 25 May 1777, an Arrt
du conseil d'Žtat du roi banned a book and fined the bookmen involved, the
frres Labottire in Bordeaux (original in AN, E.2538, f.296, with corrections
initialed by Miromesnil). The offending document was some Trs humbles et
trs respectueuses remontrances de la cour des aides et finances de Guyenne au
sujet des Lettres-Patentes du Roi du 24 novembre 1776 'concernant les
octrois de la ville de Bordeaux, lesd. remontrances en date du 29 mars et 5
avril 1777', 54p. Furthermore 'elle [Sa MajestŽ] n'a jamais permis qu'on pžt
rendre ces reprŽsentations publiques par la voie de l'impression; que les
remontrances des cours ne doivent tre connues que des magistrats auxquels le
zle les dicte, et du souverain que sa confiance en eux porte ˆ les recevoir et
qu'une plus grande publicitŽ de ces Žcrits seroit Žgalement contraire ˆ leur
nature et ˆ leur objet'. All copies were to be confiscated, and the frres
Labottire were condemned to a 500 livre fine to be turned over to the local
chambre syndicale. The governor ('intendant') DuprŽ de Saint-Maur was to see to
it that the provisos of the decree were carried out.
The sentence was
quickly overturned in so far as the Labottires were concerned. On 15 July of
the same year, because of their good record and fine reputation, the
injunctions were lifted (original signed by Miromesnil in AN, E.2538, f.428).
Neither of these decrees has been published. The offending book was located by
Conlon ('Guyenne' as 'Guienne') in the BM de Bordeaux (77:582), 54p. in-12.
On 15 August 1777, an
'arrt du conseil du roi' condemned 'un Libelle' titled []Justification de
la communautŽ de Montesquieu, Volvestre, diocse de Rieux, province de Languedoc,
contre un mŽmoire imprimŽ, intitulŽ MŽmoire historique pour M. de Bertrand,
ma”tre des requtes, contre le sieur Resclaure, notaire et Delherm de Novital,
rapporteur, Devesy, procureur, Toulouse: J. Rayet, 1776, 24p. The offending
book remains unidentified.
On 26 August 1777, a
printed document spelled out a Jugement rendu par M. Le Noir [Lenoir],
conseiller d'Žtat, lieutenant-gŽnŽral de police, commissaire du Conseil en
cette partie (printed by Lottin l'a”nŽ, 1777; colophon).
Former laws concerning
the booktrade were upheld, and various people were condemned. The proceedings
were complicated. The titles of the books involved (there were many) are not
given. The beginning of the document includes a statement that 'dŽclare bonnes
et valables les saisies faites, ˆ la requte des Syndic et Adjoints de la
Librairie, les 21 Juillet et 1er dudit mois d'Aožt suivant, sur les nommŽs
[Jean-Baptiste] GŽrardin, [AndrŽ] Louette, [Pierre] Drouet, Dusauveur ['Md
Frippier'], [Claude] Pierre, [Nicolas] Gouffreville ['dit Hubert, Žtalant sur
l'A”le du Pont-Marie, du c™tŽ de l'Isle Saint-Louis'], Crescent, Lebel et
[No‘l] Jouy ['Graveur en Pierres, et Marchand de Tableaux, et Marie-Franoise
Faumont, sa femme'], faisant le Commerce de Librairie, sans qualitŽ ni
permission'. Names and qualities have been fleshed out by information in
the rest of the document. The bookseller Dufresnoy was the 'prte-nom' of the
bookseller Dufesnoy; the dame Ravenel and the sieur Ravenel, Louette's; Dufour,
the 'prte-nom' of Jouy's wife (not Jouy); the dame-veuve Charpentier,
Gouffreville's for which he paid a monthly 18 livre fee; the sieur Robustel,
Lebel's which he was no longer using; the widow Fosse, Crescent's. All of them
were in hot water and were fined.
Thanks to a document
that accompanied some of the books to the Bastille, we can ascertain which
reprehensible items were confiscated from three of the people involved
(Arsenal, in ms.10305). Included were books that were not in terribly hot water
in 1777 such as GrŽcourt's OEuvres, Emile, La Morlire's Angola
and novels by Crebillon fils who was after all a royal censor, like his father
before him. The fact they were incarcerated and slated to be destroyed
doubtless has to do with the context of the affair. People who were not bona-fide
booksellers were dealing in somewhat questionable literature, 'somewhat
questionable' since some of the books were even openly published in Paris (by
Cazin for example) as the authorities closed their eyes. The official
booksellers in the capital, represented by the Chambre syndicale, were behind
an affair that impinged on their prerogatives.
The document in the
Arsenal comprises the first page of a folded folio bifolum. (The last three
pages are blank.) It bears an explanation at the top: 'Etat des livres prohibŽs
(faisant partie de ceux saisis sur la dame Jouy et les Srs GŽrardin
et Lebel, les 21 juillet et 1 aožt 1777, et vendus les 24, 25 7bre,
1r et 2e octobre dernier) distraits de ladite vente, en
exŽcution du jugement de M. Lenoir du 26 aožt 1777 et de sa lettre du 16
septembre dernier.
OrdonnŽs
tre envoyŽs au dŽp™t de la Bastille, pour y tre mis au pilon, suivant la
lettre adressŽe par ce magistrat aux syndic et adjoints de la librairie et
imprimerie de Paris, en date du 7 d'octobre prŽsent mois'.
At the bottom of the
page is a note by the marquis de Launey, governor of the Bastille:
Je
reconnois avoir reu de messieurs de la Chambre sindicale de la librairie les
soixante-sept volumes mentionnŽes ˆ l'Žtat cy-dessus ˆ la Bastille, le 15 8bre
1777. / Delauney.
There
are three sections, one for each person. All are in single copies except for
the first two belonging to GŽrardin (2 copies each of Le Parnasse libertin
and Contes de La Fontaine). The number of volumes is provided as well.
Dame de Jouy:
De
l'homme et de ses facultŽs [HelvŽtius], in-12; 2 vols
Recherches
sur les AmŽricains [de Pauw], in-12; 3
idem
sur les Egyptiens et Chinois [de Pauw], in-12; 2
Sr GŽrardin:
Le
Parnasse libertin [anon.], in-12; 1+1=2
Contes
de La Fontaine, in-12; 2+2=4
Le
Moyen de parvenir [BŽroalde de Verville], in-12; 2
Le
Sopha [CrŽbillon fils], in-12; 2
idem,
tome ii; 1
Le
Colporteur [Chevrier], in-12; 1
Tanza•
et NŽardanŽ [CrŽbillon fils], in-12; 2
idem,
tome i; 1
tome
iv de GrŽcourt, in-12; 1
tome
i d'Angola [La Morlire], in-12; 1
tomes
iii-iv d'Emile, in-12; 2
tome
iii des Recherches sur les AmŽricains [de Pauw], in-12; 1
idem
sur les Egyptiens [de Pauw], tomes i-ii; 2
Recueil
de pices dont La Religion naturelle [Voltaire], in-12; 1
L'Ecole
de l'homme [Genard or Dupuis; by Genard according to d'HŽmery, BN, mss,
Smith-Lesou‘f 105, p.117], in-12; 3
La
Nuit et le moment [CrŽbillon fils], in-12; 1
Sr. Le Bel [Lebel]:
Histoire
des EuropŽens dans les deux Indes [Raynal], in-8; 7
Les
Moeurs par Toussaint, in-12; 1
idem
in-18; 1
Le
Moyen de parvenir [BŽrolade de Verville], in-12; 2
Les
Bijoux indiscrets [Diderot], in-12; 2
ThŽorie
de l'imp™t, in-12; 1 [Mirabeau]
OEuvres
de GrŽcourt, in-12; 4
Angola
[La Morlire], in-12; 2
idem
2 tomes en 1; 1
Contes
de La Fontaine, in-12; 2
Le
Sopha [CrŽbillon fils], in-12; 1
idem
tome i; 1
OEuvres
de Diderot, in-12; 6
Suite
des OEuvres de GrŽcourt, in-12; 1
Le
Passe-temps des mousquetaires, in-12; 1 copy. [Generally given to Desbiefs,
d'HŽmery claims it is by Gohier, 'ancien valet de chambre du roi'. See BNF,
mss, Smith-Lesou‘f 105, p.426 for that and an anecdote.]
On 26 August 1777,
another police document, Jugement rendu par M. Le Noir [Lenoir], conseiller
d'Žtat, lieutenant-gŽnŽral de police, commissaire du conseil en cette partie,
also upheld the laws and regulations concerning the booktrade as well as the
confiscation from the sieur Moureau, a bookseller, during a raid on 31 July
1777 ([Paris:] Lottin l'a”nŽ, 1777; colophon). This time the books are
enumerated. Format and state (sheets, bound etc.) are given. The reprehensible
books were condemned to the 'pilon', and the one piracy (OEuvres de
Daguesseau) was to be turned over to the privilege holder. It amused me to
note that that Moureau was located 'sous le passage du quai de Gvres, ˆ
l'enseigne du Grand-Voltaire'. Perhaps the irony of that address and the fact
that several of the naughty books are by Voltaire did not escape the attention
of the police.
Darnton includes the
results of the Moureau raid in his Corpus but omitted no.5 and does not
list no.15 as part of that affair. Proof that the books arrived at the Bastille
is provided by the Etat des livres prohibŽs saisis sur le Sr Venant Roch
Moureau, libraire ˆ Paris, le 31 juillet 1777, et ordonnŽs tre mis au pilon
par le jugement de Monsieur Le Noir [Lenoir] du 26 aožt 1777 (Arsenal,
ms.10305 about half-way through, a folio bifolium with the second leaf blank,
rather crumpled but quite legible). The governor of the fortress appended a receipt:
'Je soussignŽ reconnois avoir reu de Mrs les syndic et adjoints de la
librairie et imprimerie de Paris tous les ouvrages cy-dessus dŽnommŽs. A la
Bastille le ving-deux octobre 1777 / De Launey'. Moureau had very recently been
received as a bookseller in Paris by a royal decree dated 22 Feburary 1777 with
a waiver allowing him to sign on before having finished his apprenticeship (AN,
E.2541, f.99, no.34, signed by Miromesnil). We can only speculate as to the
thoughts of those who supported that decision.
The banned books
comprised the following:
1. 3 copies of the Anecdotes
sur Mme la comtesse du Barri [Pidansat de Mairobert or ThŽveneau de
Morande]
2. 2 La Pucelle
d'OrlŽans
3. 1 Alo•sia, ou
l'AcadŽmie des dames [Meursius, tr. Chorier, L'AcadŽmie des dames, ou
Entretiens galants d'Aloysia]
4. 1 Lettres
galantes et philosophiques de deux nonnes [anon.]
5. 4 []MŽmoire ˆ
consulter pour les souscripteurs du Journal de thŽ‰tre, rŽdigŽ par le Sr Le
Fuel de MŽricourt plus various packets of the same
6. 2 La Bible enfin
expliquŽe [Voltaire]
7. 3 L'Espion
chinois [Ange Goudar]
8. 8 MŽmoires de
l'abbŽ Terrai [Terray; J.-B.-L. Coquereau]
9. 1 L'ArŽtin
moderne [Dulaurens]
10. 1 Histoire du
parlement de Paris [Voltaire]
11. 5 Bijou de
sociŽtŽ [anon.]
12. 3 Nouvelle
traduction de la Fille de joie [Cleland]
13. 11 L'An deux
mille quatre-cent-quarante [Mercier]
14. 4 La Morale
universelle [d'Holbach]
15. 6 Requte au
conseil du roi, par M. Linguet
16. 4 Correspondance
secrte et familire de M. de Maupeou avec M. de Sorhouet, etc. [Pidansat
de Mairobert or Augeard. For more about this affair and Sorhouet de Bougy, see
Bachaumont, MŽmoires secrets, 22 July 1771, xxi.274 and 17 February
1772, xxi.306-307.]
On 20 September 1777,
an Arrt de parlement condemned an []Extrait du registre des
dŽlibŽrations des officiers du bailliage et sige prŽsidial de Sens[:
observations sur l'Ždit du roi d'aožt 1777 portant rglement pour la
juridiction des tribunaux dated 4 September 1777 [Sens: TarbŽ, 1777; BM
d'Auxerre]. An extensive dossier about this can be consulted in JF.484, around
f.121-121[1] which is the printed edict.
On 31 October 1777, an
Arrt du grand-conseil du roi suppressed two pamphlets, []ArrtŽs et
trs-humbles remontrances du Grand conseil du roi (August and September
1777) [Paris 1777, 59p. in-8, MŽdiathque Franois Mitterand-Poitiers for the
only known location] and []Du mercredi premier octobre 1777 (unidentified).
All copies were to be taken to the 'greffe' of the council, and none was to be
sold. There is a printed copy of the edict in JF.486, f.147 with other
documents probably touching upon the case. That volume contains many items
dealing with the 'prŽsidiaux' and the suppression and reinstatement of the
'jurandes', that is the various guilds. Those wishing to pursue further this
case would want to begin with the above and follow up on sources provided by
Funck-Brentano, Lettres de cachet, no.5070. (Desauges was thrown in the
Bastille for selling this book).
On 12 December 1777, a
'sentence du Ch‰telet' condemned several books to be lacerated and burned in
the place de Grve. The copper-plates were to be broken hinting that some of
these books may have been printed on a rolling press from plates. But more
probably engravings were made from those plates to illustrate some of the
books. At the end, a source is cited, 'Recueil de pices concernant le
Ch‰telet, 1779, 4to, p.167' (ms. note, 22180, no.47). That is in the middle of
another 'sentence du Ch‰telet' (p.159-77) which, on 9 September 1775, condemned
Delisle de Sales's De la philosophie de la nature to be burned by the
public executioner in the place de Grve.
The works below are
listed in Darnton's Corpus unless otherwise noted. Explanations are
provided for the less well known items. As far as is known, this 'sentence' has
not been printed.
1. Le Monialisme [Le
Monialisme, histoire galante Žcrite par une ex-religieuse de l'abbaye o se
sont passŽes les aventures, Rome: aux dŽpens des couvens, 1777 (BN
RŽserve). At least 15 copies ended up in the Bastille at some point. See
appendix K, A-62.
2. Les Leons de la
voluptŽ [Hubert d'OrlŽans, Les Leons de la voluptŽ, ou la Jeunesse du
chevalier de Manonville, Cythre 1775, several editions; first appeared as Confession
gŽnŽrale du chevalier de Wilfort, 1755; MMF 55.24].
3. []Le Monarchisme[?]
[The reading of the letter or letters falling between the 'n' and the 'c' is
far from certain. The entry might refer to Linguet's Essai philosophique sur
le monachisme of which there were at least two editions, 1775 and 1776].
4. ThŽrse philosophe
[see the main text].
5. ThŽ‰tre gaillard [a
collection of erotic and scatalogical plays by different people, various
editions; see the BNC and usual sources].
6. Imirce, ou la Fille
de la nature [Dulaurens]
7. De la nature humaine
[ou Exposition des facultŽs, des actions et des passions de l'‰meÉ, by
Hobbes translated by d'Holbach].
8. []La Vie de
l'ArŽtin [possibly BŽnigne Dujardin under the pseudonym of Boispreaux, La
Vie de Pierre ArŽtin, La Haye:
J. NŽaulme, 1750 for the single separate eighteenth-century edition listed by
the BNC. D'HŽmery provides some notes about Boispreaux in n.a.fr.10781, f.95.
Darnton, Corpus, no.584 mentions that La Putain erranteÉ
translated from the Italian of N. Franco? also appeared as the Histoire et
vie de l'Arretin, ou les Entretiens de Magdelon et de Julie. Avec trente-six
figures en taille-douce, n.p. 1774. The latter might well be what this
'sentence' is referring to. Over 400 copies were found in the Bastille after it
was stormed, but a different edition. See appendix K, A-32.].
9. Le Portier des
Chartreux [see the main text].
10. La Pucelle
d'OrlŽans [see the main text].
11. La Politique
naturelle [d'Holbach's La Politique naturelle, ou Discours sur les vrais
principes du gouvernement par un ancien magistrat]
12. Le Systme social
[d'Holbach]
13. []Essai sur la
religion nŽcessaire ˆ l'homme [unidentified].
14. []Le NazarŽen
[probably John Toland, tr. d'Holbach, Le NazarŽen, ou le Christianisme des
juifs, des gentils et des mahomŽtans traduit de l'anglois]
15. []De David
[possibly if not probably Peter Annet, tr. d'Holbach, David, ou l'Histoire
de l'homme selon le coeur de Dieu, ouvrage traduit de l'anglois. Copies of
the latter wound up in the Bastille. See appendix K, A-211.]
16. Les Doutes sur la
religion [Boulainvilliers, with Gayot de Pitaval for the Analyse in Doutes
sur la religion, suivis de l'Analyse du traitŽ thŽologi-politique de Spinoza].
On 17 December 1777,
an Arrt du conseil d'Žtat du roi banned a book titled []ConsidŽrations
sur l'Žtat prŽsent de la colonie franoise de Saint-Domingue [by Hilliard
or HŽliard d'Auberteuil, Paris: GrangŽ, 1776-1777, 2 vols]; ms. note, 22180,
no.136. Printed copies of the decree are available in the BNF. The edict was
announced by the Gazette des tribunaux in January 1778 (no.1, v.16); a
brief summary is provided. The condemnation occurred because 'cet Ouvrage a
fait sensation dans ses Colonies d'Amerique [celles du roi]'; 'indŽpendamment
de ce qu'il contenoit d'ailleurs de reprŽhensible, l'Auteur s'y Žtoit permis,
par des imputations graves, contraires ˆ la vŽritŽ, d'attaquer l'administration
des chefs de Saint-Domingue'. Prault's privilege ceded to GrangŽ was revoked,
no copies were to be sold, those floating about were to be taken to the police,
and so on. Lemercier de La Rivire's report on the book (favorable),
correspondence and other materials can be consulted in JF.504, f.160-67.
On 7 January 1778, the
parlement condemned the lawyer Dassy to prison. He was struck from the roster
of lawyers for having written and published a []Consultation pour le baron
et la baronne de Bagges, printed by Cailleau, 39p. in-4to. Those interested
in more about this case can read the article devoted to the 'Affaire du Sieur
Dassy' in the Gazette des tribunaux, 1778, no.2, v.22-23. (A copy of
that is in JF.504, f.337, 2-3, part of a fairly extensive dossier about the Gazette.)
The printed copy of the decree in JF.495, f.364-364[3] is preceded by a letter
about this case by Coulon, 'expert aux Žcritures, approuvŽ de l'AcadŽmie royale
des sciences', dated 6 Jannuary 1778. The dossier also contains the Consultation
pour le baron et la baronne de Bagge with, at the end, 'DŽlibŽrŽ ˆ
Paris, ce 12 DŽcembre 1777, DASSY.' and Cailleau's colophon. (The next item
is a MŽmoire et consultation pour la baronne de Bagge dated 5 January
1778 and signed by "DE LA CROIX, Avocat' (printed by Quillau, 12p. in-4).
The name of the baron and his wife is given as Bagge or Bages. The document
condemning the lawyer can be consulted in JF.2432, f.135-38.
On 6 March 1778, a
libel titled []ConsidŽrations sur la rŽforme des armes jugŽe au conseil de
guerre assemblŽ ˆ l'h™tel royal des Invalides [by Antoine Baratier, marquis
de Saint-Auban] was banned by the 'conseil d'Žtat du roi'. A printed copy of
the decree is available in JF.1682, f.239-40.
On 29 April 1778, the
Cour des aides proscribed an anonymous []Trs-humbles et trs-respectueuses
remontrances que prŽsentent au roi notre trs-honorŽ et souverain seigneur, les
gens tenants sa cour des aides [n.p., n.d., 1775?]. Printed copies of the
condemnation can be consulted in the BNF. The BNC omits mention of the copy at
f.fr.22180, no.161.
On 13 September 1778,
the 'conseil d'Žtat' banned a []MŽmoire ˆ consulter et consultation pour le
chapitre de Poitiers. A manuscript note reaffirms this, with further
information. It was 'un mŽmoire ˆ consulter (imprimŽ chez d'Houry), en faveur
du chapitre contre l'Žvque de Poitiers (Nouvelles ecclŽsiastiques,
1778, p.201, 2e colonne)' (22180, no.183 for the ms. note; printed decree at
no.184). Furthermore it contained two 'consultations', one signed by Courtin,
the other by Camus. Those were followed by a letter dated the 10th, 1778 from
the Sorbonne signed by Le Fvre (no month provided). The offending work is
absent from the BNC. It does not appear to be listed in Conlon (1778: 'MŽmoire[s]',
'Camus', 'Courtier', 'Le Fvre' were checked).
On 12 October 1778, a
printed notice went out informing members of the trade that the []Apologie
du commerce, ou RŽfutation, 'etc. etc.' was suppressed until further orders
were issued (22180, no.187). A couple of months later (21 December), the book
was officially banned by a royal decree ('conseil d'Žtat') subsequently
registered at the Chambre syndicale by the syndic, Lottin l'a”nŽ (f.fr.21860,
f.585-86). The original of the decree can be consulted in the Archives
nationales (E.2550, f.453). The offending book was evidently published by
Desprez from whom 397 copies were confiscated (and five from L'Esclapart). This
would refer to L.-H. Dudevant's L'Apologie du commerce, essai philosophique
et politique, avec des notes instructives; suivi de diverses rŽflexions sur le
commerce en gŽnŽral, sur celui de la France en particulier, et sur les moyens
propres ˆ l'accro”tre et le perfectionner. Par un jeune nŽgociant, Genve
1777. The BNC notes'vraisemblablement impr. en France, d'aprs le matŽriel
typogr.' That is certainly the case, but whether in the provinces or in Paris
remains to be seen.
On 25 September 1779,
a MŽmoire ˆ consulter pour les sieurs GŽrard, Rougelin et consorts,
marchands-Žpingliers, merciers et tabletiers contre le sieur chevalier Duboys [Duboy,
also as Dubois in correspondence], commandant de la garde de Paris was
banned by the 'conseil d'Žtat'. (The drop-title of the banned pamphlet reads: MŽmoire
ˆ consulter, pour les Srs GŽrard Rougelin et consorts, marchands-Žpingliers;
Joseph Hovius et consorts, marchands merciers; Jacques Legros et consorts,
marchands tabletiers, tous au nombre de trente-deux ma”tres; contre le sieur
chevalier Duboy, commandant de la garde de Paris.) It was followed by a
'consultation' signed by PrŽvost de Saint-Lucien, a lawyer [and by Deschamps,
'procureur'] 'aussi imprimŽe chez la veuve Balard'. The wording seems to
indicate that two documents were involved. However it is one pamphlet, 8p.
in-4, the 'consultation' occupying a bit of p.5, then all of 6-8. It ends with
the veuve Balard's colophon dated 1779. The copy seen is in JF.1928, f.64-67
with more about this case further along. That volume also contains quite a bit
about 'Žtalages' in Paris.
On 27 November 1779, a
[]Lettre de MM. les agens gŽnŽraux du clergŽ ˆ M. l'archevque de Tours
was banned by the 'conseil d'Žtat' (ms. note, 22180, no.220). There are four
copies of the decree in the BNF. The offending document is not held by the BNF
and is not listed in the CCFr. Conlon does not include it, but lists a Lettre
de messieurs les agens gŽnŽraux du clergŽ de France ˆ monseigneur l'Žvque du
Mans (1779, no.337; Le Mans). A small dossier about this case can be
consulted in JF.533, no.59f. Included is a letter from Bourget, a priest
implicated in the affair, to Joly de Fleury dated 31 March 1780 (no.172).
On 3 December 1779,
Lenoir, in the name of the keeper of the seals, issued an order prohibiting the
importation, sale or distribution of a book printed in Alsace, []Observations
d'un Alsacien sur l'affaire prŽsente des juifs (22180, no.222, printed slip
of paper). That is by J.-F.-A. de Hell, Francfort 1779.
On 19 December 1779, Beaumarchais's
[]Observations sur le MŽmoire justificatif de la cour de Londres was
banned by the 'conseil d'Žtat' (ms. note, 22180, no.226). There are several
copies of the decree in the BNF. See too AN, AD/III/27A, no.94. The MŽmoire
is by Gibbon. Beaumarchais is named in the decree so it is not about another
book with largely the same title by GŽrard de Rayneval. See the Mettra appendix
(appendix C) at 17 March 1780.
On 12 May 1780, an Arrt
du conseil suppressed a []MŽmoire ˆ consulter et consultation pour les
curŽs du DauphinŽ sur l'insuffisance de la portion congrue (ms. note,
22180, no.232). There are several copies of the decree in the BNF as well as of
the MŽmoire (different editions). This case is mentioned by Mettra. See
infra.
On 22 July 1780, an Arrt
du conseil banned 'une brochure' titled []Essai sur le jugement qu'on
peut porter de M. de Voltaire, 'etc.' [Ésuivi de notes historiques et
anecdotes, lettre ˆ M***, with a typical tacit-permit imprint, Amsterdam:
veuve Merkus; Paris: MŽrigot le jeune, 1780]. A reference is provided: Journal
de Paris, 2 September 1780, p.997, 2nd column (ms. note, 22180, no.240).
There are several copies of the decree and the Essai in the BNF.
Notification of the decree was registered at the Chambre syndicale on or
shortly after 4 August 1780 by two adjoints, Quillau and Durand (f.fr.21860,
f.607-608). The Essai sur le jugement was printed in France, probably if
not possibly in Paris (copy seen: BNF Ln27/20786).
On 6 August 1780, the
'conseil d'Žtat' banned a []ReprŽsentation de plusieurs bourgeois
propriŽtaires et habitans de la ville, faux bourg, et banlieu de Rouen (ms.
note, 22180. no.242, with a reference to the Journal de Paris, 31 August
1780, p.991). There are several copies of the decree in the BNF. The only
document that might correspond to the banned book is a ReprŽsentation de
plusieurs bourgeois et propriŽtaires de la citŽ de Rouen ˆ MM. les maires et
Žchevins, n.p. 1780 (absent from Conlon, anonyms, 1780).
On 7 September 1780,
the parlement banned some []Observations pour la dame Leferon Dubreuil.
There is no copy of the offending document in the BNF; nor is it listed in CCFr
or Conlon. The BNF does hold some RŽponses aux Observations de M. Le FŽron,
conseiller en la cour des aides, sur le codicille de dŽfunt Me Jean-Baptiste Le
FŽron, prieur de Saint-Martin, son frre (n.p. n.d.). An extensive dossier
about the Observations can be consulted in JF.535, f.286-313 et
passim. That collection also contains an interesting dossier revolving
around a 'Projet concertŽ entre les premiers magistrats du parlement, les gens
du roi, et le b‰tonnier des avocats pour un rglement ˆ l'effet d'interdire
l'impression des mŽmoires ˆ consulter mis en tte des consultations, ˆ la
faveur desquelles se rŽpandent des diffamations, injures et dŽclamations'
(f.325-). A small dossier about the Observations can also be perused in
JF.518, f.129-132.
On 25 January 1781,
the parlement banned a []Lettre de M. le chevalier *** ˆ M. Treilhard,
avocat, n.p. The offending pamphlet is absent from the BNC (and is absent
from Conlon), but there is a copy in JF.530, f.84-84(1), 4p. in-folio, a quarto
bifolium dated 15 January 1781 and signed by 'Le Chevalier de ***'. It is
preceded by a printed copy of the decree and a manuscript summary, 'RŽquisitoire
de M. SŽguier, avocat-gŽnŽral, et arrt du parlement, contre un Žcrit anonyme,
imprimŽ dans la cause de question d'Žtat d'entre le marquis de CrŽquy et le
sieur Le Jeune, dans lequel en comblant d'Žloges M.e de Bonnires,
avocat, on cherche ˆ rŽpandre du ridicule sur la dŽfense de M.e
Treilhard, son adversaire' (f.82). For those interested in the theatre, the
dossier preceding this one concerns 'la multiplicitŽ des petits spectacles
Žtablis dans les foires et sur les boulevards' and so on in Paris.
On 26 March 1781, the
'conseil d'Žtat du roi' issued a decree banning a brief for the comte d'Artois
(the king's brother), a substantial 273 page document signed by the lawyer
Hennequin de Blissy, printed by L. Cellot. It appeared without the comte d'Artois
approval and was filled with inaccuracies (f.fr.21860, f.676r). The
decree has never been published. This might refer to the [Second] MŽmoire
pour M. le comte d'Artois contre les communautŽs d'habitants du pays de
Marquenterre en Ponthieu, uniquement destinŽ ˆ traiter la question de droit de
la propriŽtŽ gŽnŽrale des terres vaines et vagues although the BNC reports
iv-228p. Both the MŽmoire pourÉ and the Second mŽmoireÉ are
absent from Conlon.
On 30 March 1781, some
[]Pices justificatives comprising 8p. 'Žtant ensuite d'une requte et
d'un mŽmoire au Conseil' by the dame Bergeray and Trumeau de La Morandire was
suppressed by the 'conseil d'Žtat' (f.fr.21860, f.676). The printed 'arrt du
conseil' can be consulted in the BNF. The offending book remains unidentified.
On 15 February 1787,
an Arrt du conseil suppressed []Instructions sur les assemblŽes
nationales, tant gŽnŽrales que particulires, depuis le commencement de la
monarchie jusqu'ˆ nos jours chez Royez libraire ˆ Paris [anon.; Instruction
surÉ]; []Essai historique et politique sur les assemblŽes nationales du
royaume de France depuis le commencement de la monarchie chez Petit,
libraire ˆ Paris [anon.; Londres; Paris: Petit, 1787]; []Objets proposŽs ˆ
l'AssemblŽe des notables par de zŽlŽs citoyens, etc. ˆ l'Imprimerie
polytype [Hoffmann's; Paris: impr. polytype, 1787, in part by the comte
Guignard de Saint-Priest], registered and transcribed in the journal of the
Chambre syndicale (f.fr.21860, f.776). Printed copies of the decree are available
in the BNF. Hoffmann's establishment was shut down, and the booksellers Royer
and Petit were also removed from the trade. But that interdiction was quickly
lifted by an edict dated 10 March 1787 (printed copies in the BNF). However
Hoffmann did not survive. Attacked by the Paris trade, his establishment was
shut down by the authorities for various reasons. The case of his Imprimerie
polytype is complicated.
(***)
No.17. Some provincial
proscriptions
On 6 November 1772 the
archbishop of Lyon issued a Mandement et instruction pastorale [É], portant
condamnation d'un libelle, intitulŽ Critique du CatŽchisme, imprimŽ sans nom
d'auteur, ni d'imprimeur, et sans aucune dŽsignation du lieu de l'impression
(Lyon: AimŽ de La Roche, 1772). The Mandement comprises 2pl + 137 +
[2]p. in-4 (author's copy). The BNF appears to house a copy of the Mandement
but a duodecimo comprising iv + 296p. according to the BNC. The quarto ends
with an 'Avis' or advertisement concerning a new 'Missel et le nouveau Graduel'
published by our prelate for his diocese at different prices on different
papers. The author's copy of this Mandement was sent at the time to M.
Didier, vicaire de Saint-Galmier (ms. annotation). The BM de Lyon houses Chansons
contre la Critique du CatŽchisme de M. l'archevque de Lyon, avec des notes
(Bouillon: Martin Rougeane, 1773; another edition, 1775), but the Critique
itself has not been located. There is also Les Vrais sentiments du clergŽ du
diocse de Lyon adressŽs en forme de lettre au rŽdacteur de M. l'archevque,
pour servir de rŽplique ˆ son mandement donnŽ le 6 novembre 1772 portant
condamnation d'un soit-disant libelle, intitulŽ Critique du CatŽchisme,
n.p. n.d., 1772 (xvi-169p.; OCLC).
A related case centres
on an Arrt du conseil supŽrieur [du Lyonnais] dated 21 January 1772
that condemned three books, the []Critique du CatŽchisme en forme de
dialogue, []Les Trois chapitres, ou les Trois lettres[: critique du
CatŽchisme de Mgr (Antoine de) Malvin de Montazet (archevque de Lyon)É],
and a []SupplŽment ˆ la dernire lettre. This affair escaped the
attention of Negroni, and the titles are absent from Darnton's Corpus.
The decree was printed by P. Valfray, 'imprimeur du roi et du Conseil
supŽrieur'. See the on-line catalogue of the BM de Lyon or the CCFr for this
rare decree and the equally rare books it attacked. The author is most grateful
to M. Yves Montrozier, keeper of rare books at the BM de Lyon for his kind and
timely reply to my queries.
(***)
No.18. Histoire de
la guerre commencŽe en 1756 et terminŽe en 1763, banned in France
Such is the title
recorded in the confiscation registers in March 1784 (f.fr.21934, f.49;
f.fr.21935, no.512). OCLC has a record for an anonymous Histoire de la
dernire guerre, commencŽe l'an 1756, et finie par la paix d'Hubertsbourg, le
15 fŽvrier 1763. Nouvelle Ždition, corrigŽe (Berlin 1767). It is unlikely
that a book that old, soon republished with a typical tacit-permit imprint
(Cologne; Paris: MŽrigot le jeune, 1770), would have caused problems to the
authorities over a decade and a half later. The confiscation records probably
refer to a French translation of major-general Henry Lloyd's The History of
the late war in GermanyÉ (vol.i, London: for the author [É], 1766, ESTC;
vol.ii appeared in 1790). It was translated into the French as Introduction
ˆ l'histoire de la guerre en Allemagne en M.DCC.LVI. entre le roi de Prusse et
l'impŽratrice-reine avec ses alliŽsÉ traduit et augmentŽ de notesÉ par
un officier franois (Londres; Bruxelles: F. A. Plon, 1784). The ESTC record
indicates with hesitation that the 'officier franois' was Germain-Hyacinthe de
Romance de Mesmon. Tempelhoff is not mentioned. The translator indicated by our
register is probably Georg Friedrich von Tempelhoff (1737-1807). Barbier, Dictionnaire
des ouvrages anonymes (ii.c.698c), gives the editor and/or translator as
Roux-Fazillac doubtless because the latter edited an augmented edition nearly
twenty years later (Paris: Magimel, an XI/1803). Furthermore the Histoire de
la guerre d'Allemagne en 1756 entre le roi de Prusse et l'impŽratrice
d'Allemagne et ses alliŽs, ouvrage traduit de l'anglois auquel on a ajoutŽ la
campagne de 1744 Žcrite par le roi de Prusse lui-mme (Lausanne 1784), 2
parts in one vol. in-4, is attributed to Lloyd by the BNC. The second part is
in the form of an addendum (tl + [1]-20p., separate signature register)
comprising the Campagne de 1744 followed by folding maps. The book was
printed in Paris; Lausanne is a red herring. There are some ms. changes in the
'Avis du traducteur' in the copy seen (BNF, M.4128). Openly advertised as being
sold in Paris is a 'Carte gŽnŽrale, de huit pouces au degrŽ, et qui sera en
neuf feuilles, se trouve ˆ Paris, chez Verrier, [Dezauches] GŽographe,
rue des Quatre Fils. [Noyers]'. Words have been struck in print and
replaced in manuscript to update the text. This history recounts only the
campaigns of 1756 (p.1-30) and 1757 (p.31-158); there is extensive preliminary
material.
The author has a
handsome manuscript titled Histoire de la guerre de 7 ans traduite de
l'allemand de M.r Arkenholtz 2 vols in-4 in a lovely binding
dating to c.1790 (French?). The entire war is covered, year by year.
This is probably a translation of Johann Wilhelm von Archenholtz's Geschichte
des siebenjŠhrigen Kriege in Deutschland, perhaps a fair copy of the baron
de Bock's translation (Metz: Devilly, 1789), a rare book (BM-Besanon only in
CCFr; also in the BNC; no copies located in OCLC).
An echo of this case
can be found in one of the Registres de la librairie (f.fr.22040, 'M',
p.10):
du 6 juillet [1787]
Mesmon (M. le M.is
de) demande la permission d'introduire en France un ouvrage dont il est le
commentateur intitulŽ: Histoire de la guerre d'Allemagne en 1756 entre le
roy de Prusse et l'Angleterre et l'impŽratrice-reine avec ses alliŽs.
C.r
[Communiquer] son mŽmoire ˆ M. Vidaud.
RAYƒ. feuille
des P. T. du 26. 7.bre 1787.
[In the explanatory
box:] M. Vidaud de La Tour propose ˆ Mgr de faire examiner l'ouvrage par M.
l'arch. de Toulouse et par M. le marŽchal de SŽguier. / Bon. Travail du 9
juillet 1787. / Le 8 7.bre E[nvoyŽ]. ˆ M. Vidaud une lettre de M. le
B.on de Breteuil qui mande que l'ouvrage de M. le M.is de
Mesmon contient dans la partie militaire des objets qui doivent en empcher la
publicitŽ. / NŽant. Travail du 22 7.bre 1787. / dŽfendre l'ouvrage.
Trav. du 17e mars 1788.
The book and its
prospectus wound up in the Bastille. See infra.
(***)
No.19. More about
Raynal's Histoire philosophique des deux Indes
This section
complements the discussion about Raynal and the Histoire philosophique
provided in the main text. See too appendix H at 1781, first section.
On 13 June 1777, an Arrt
du conseil d'Žtat du roi proscribed three members of the trade for dealing
in Raynal's Histoire philosophiqueÉ des EuropŽens dans les deux Indes,
namely Claude Lequatre, a printer in Montargis, and Edme-Jean Le Jay and
Robert-AndrŽ Hardouin, booksellers in Paris. The edict specifically states that
Lequatre had 'commencŽ' the job at the request of the two others. The
manuscript fell into the hands of the crown, and the authorities decided to
treat the crime with the severity it deserved, punishing the three with fines,
banning them from the trade, confiscating the printer's equipment and so on. A
marginal manuscript note in the copy of the decree in f.fr.22180 (no.64)
identifies the offending book as 'l'Analyse de l'ouvrage de l'abbŽ Raynal
intitulŽ: Histoire du commerce des EuropŽens dans les deux Indes'. This
would be Franois Bernard's []Analyse de l'Histoire philosophique et politique
des Žtablissemens [É] dans les deux Indes. There were at least two
editions, Leyde: J. Murray, 1775 (true imprint) and Amsterdam; Paris: Morin,
1775 (printed in France, probably in Paris). According to the BNC the editions
vary. I compared the beginning and end and did not detect any differences. I
know of no later edition, so maybe Lequatre never finished the job or, as with
other condemned books, perhaps the authorities were successful in suppressing
the entire edition. The original decree, signed by Miromesnil, can be consulted
in AN, E.2530, f.183, no.141.
As mentioned in the
main text, Bernard's Analyse was awarded a tacit permit, one that may
well have been revoked. In any case it is interesting to note that the work is
not listed in the Catalogue hebdomadaire where so many tacit-permit
books were advertised (indexes for 1774-1777 checked). The French printing
bears an imprint typical of many books published by virtue of the tacit permit:
false place followed by true information (Amsterdam; Paris: chez Morin au
Palais Royal, 1775).
Like so many other
decrees meting out harsh punishments, this one too was revoked. An Arrt du
conseil dated 23 January 1778 reinstated the three miscreants in their
jobs, but the confiscation of the presses and other materials was allowed to
stand. They were to be sold off at the local chambre syndicale (ms. synopsis in
f.fr.22180, no.146; also mentioned in f.fr.22070, no.54; original signed by
Miromesnil in AN, 2550, no.14, f.27). The two decrees were registered at the
Chambre syndicale by being copied in full and signed by Lottin l'a”nŽ the
syndic for the first on 14 July 1777, de Hansy an adjoint for the second early
in February 1778 (f.fr.21860, f.551v and 573r-v).
We have seen above
that Bernard's Analyse de l'Histoire philosophique originally passed the
censorship. But it appears to have encountred difficulties more than once. On
22 May 1778 a case of books was confiscated imported by Laporte from Lille. The
books comprised piracies and prohibited items, including a manuscript titled []Nouveau
moyen de parvenir (f.fr.21934, f.6-7; 21935, no.16). There were 20 copies
of a Discours sur le commerce des EuropŽens in-8, so titled in both
registers and clearly marked as 'prohibŽ' (21935, no.17). By a process of
elimination we can deduce that that Discours would be Bernard's Analyse.
There is also a separate entry for a 'Commerce des EuropŽens' imported by
Laporte on the same day, marked 'prohibŽ' in the decision column (21935,
no.15). Unfortunately at this stage the arrival register does not provide the
shipment register number (the ledgers recording the arrival at customs in Paris
of all book shipments), so there is no way of telling if this was a separate
importation because there is no mention of this in the Chambre register
(21934). We might suspect the Commerce des EuropŽens is the same as the Discours
sur le commerce which I feel is probably the case, but that remains
speculation.
Bernard intended that
his book be an attack on the Histoire philosophique, but the way he set
about doing this shows why the authorities took umbrage. We can only be
surprised that Mairobert passed it in the first place. The 'Avertissement'
opens: 'On jugeroit mal de ce petit Ouvrage, si on l'envisageoit comme une
rŽfutation complte de l'Histoire Philosophique et Politique. Je n'eus jamais
le dessein de me mesurer avec un Philosophe moderne. SupŽrieur ˆ moi par
l'ŽlŽgance et la puretŽ de la diction, le Philosophe pourroit se prŽvaloir de
ce nouvel avantage, en faveur de l'erreur qu'il Žtablit et qu'il dŽfend. Le
zle sans les talens, ne suffit pas ordinairement pour assurer le triomphe ˆ la
vŽritŽ. On peut perdre la meilleure cause, par la seule raison qu'on l'a mal
dŽfendue contre un adversaire plus adroit. Je me suis simplement proposŽ d'extraire
avec la plus exacte fidŽlitŽ quelques passages de l'Histoire Philosophique et
Politique; si mes citations sont exactes, j'ai rempli ma t‰che'. (In truth the
author does far more than that.) Then, after explaining that 'les fondemens du
Christianisme, ceux de la Morale, ceux de la SociŽtŽ, y sont heurtŽs de front',
he exclaims: 'il n'en est pas moins vrai, que l'Histoire Philosophique et
Politique est un nouveau monument ŽrigŽ, ˆ c™tŽ de tant d'autres, ˆ l'honneur
de l'IrrŽligion. Malheur au Lecteur qui n'en jugera pas de mme!' (p.vi). There
is more. The book itself begins with an interesting discussion of the editions
of the Histoire philosophique, how they were sold and so on.
I take this
opportunity to mention a lengthy manuscript critique and analysis of the work,
some 40p. in-folio tightly written dating to the 1780s. The BNF's folder claims
1790 after the sales catalogue entry, but I doubt that is the case. Aside from
handwriting, spelling, paper, there is no reason for someone to have undertaken
the huge task of composing such a document in 1790. It came up for auction at
the h™tel Drouot on 19 May 2000 (M. Thierry Bodin was the expert), lot 125
described as 'Manuscrit, 1790. 35 pages et demie in-fol. (qqs mouill. aux
dernier ff.)' followed by a summary paragraph (p.35; Autographes, documents
historiquesÉ, Paris, h™tel Drouot, Friday 19 May 2000, PIASA auctioneers,
available in the BNF ms. dept. at CV [catalogue de vente]-9021). There are not
only damp stains but also holes in the manuscript. My attempt to acquire it was
unsuccessful, for it was pre-empted by the BNF (currently available at [nouvel]
A[chat].00-08 by special request until it is properly catalogued).
This is a report about
the 1780 edition (which is cited). The analysis follows the 1780 edition volume
by volume. The first page has a marginal indication showing how it is ordered:
'Sur l'introduction de l'ouvrage; et les dŽcouvertes, guerres et conqutes des
Portugais dans les Indes orientales. T.I, part.I'. The author of the report / review
offers his own opinions, for example 'Quand on Žcrit on doit prendre garde de
se contredire'. But when a person writes 'pour se faire un nom', everything
ought to be carefully weighed and consulted: 'c'est alors qu'on se nŽglige le
plus parce que l'on a la fureur de vouloir Žcrire beaucoup et non celle de le
bien faire'. Writers concerned about their 'renommŽe' ought to be concerned
with 'la vŽritŽ, la dŽcence, la raison et l'impartialitŽ' (f.46r),
obviously not the case with respect to the author of the Histoire
philosophique. Later on 'Rainal' is reproached for ripping religion to
shreds (f.49r) and attacking 'la religion et ses miracles' and more
(f.55v). The author of this critique often addresses Raynal directly:
'Vous avez bien, Monsieur, le talent qu'il faut pour tromper vos lecteurs;
c'est sous le nom d'une Eliza que vous nous reprŽsentez [?illegible] de vos
ouvrages' as the author over-indulges in his imagination (f.51r). This
is probably a reference to Eliza Draper. L'Eloge d'Eliza Draper, more or
less extraneously inserted in the Histoire philosophique, is by Diderot,
a claim based on style and other factors.
A thorough examination
of this document might lead to the identification of its author. The hand is
distinctive. The author is grateful to M. and Mme Bodin of 'Les Autographes'
(Paris) and to the archivists at the BNF, DŽpartement des manuscrits
occidentaux, for their kindness and help. This manuscript is mentioned in the Revue
de la Bibliothque nationale de France, no.13 (June 2003), 'Autour du
faux', accessions 2000-2001, Western manuscripts, p.84.
(***)
No.20. Brivasard's
confiscated books
A shipment was seized
from Brivasard on 5 October 1781 (f.fr.21935, no.292; 21934, f.33). The customs
records are not quite clear about what happened to the reprehensible ones.
According to a document composed at the Bastille, they were indeed sent to
prison and then executed (Etat des balles et ballots mis au pilon: Žtat des
livres suspendus, with a note at the top left of the first page: 'reu le
25 janvier 1783', in Arsenal, ms. 10305). That is clarified by a note at the
back: 'je reconnais avoir reu de Messieurs Fournier et Berton, adjoints en la
librairie, le contenu de l'Žtat ci-dessus et des autres parts en foi de quoi
j'ai signŽ le prŽsent au ch‰teau royal de la Bastille, le samedi vingt-cinq
janvier mil sept cent quatre-vingt-trois, entre onze heures et midi. / SignŽ:
chevalier major pour copie / PlacŽs sur le tambour de la vožte'.
Lenoir's letter to the
governor of the Bastille (the marquis de Launey) has survived (further along in
the same box): ce 11 janvier 1783 / Je vous prie, Monsieur, de faire recevoir
et placer au dŽp™t de la Bastille les livres condamnŽs au pilon ˆ la Chambre
syndicale, et qui doivent y tre envoyŽs par les syndic et adjoints de la
librairie, avec un Žtat indicatif des livres. / J'ai l'honneur d'tre avec un
sincre et parfait attachement, Monsieur, votre trs humble et trs obŽissant
serviteur. / [holograph signature] Lenoir'. A note in a different hand explains:
'Fait comme il est requis. / Le 25 janvier 1783. / Mrs Fournier et Breton
adjoints de la librairie ont apportŽ led. jour une charrette pleine d'imprimŽs
qui ont ŽtŽ reus suivant l'Žtat double qui en a ŽtŽ fait. L'un que le major a
signŽ et qui a ŽtŽ remis a ces Mrs de la librairie; l'autre nous est restŽ. Le
tout a ŽtŽ placŽ sur le tambour de la vožte'.
On the first page
under 5 October [1781], we find a list of Brivasard's books. There were one
copy each of the following, all included in Darnton's Corpus.
F.fr.21934, f.33 also indicates one copy of each; 21935, no.292 does not give
that information.
Histoire
philosophique de l'abbŽ Raynal [21935: 11 vol. in-8; 21934: 12 vols in-8]
Vie privŽe de Louis
XV [by Mouffle d'Angerville]
Tableau de Paris
[by Mercier]
Correspondance de
Montalembert
Le Procs des trois
rois [by Ange Goudar]
TraitŽ des trois
imposteurs [by Jan Vroesen?; Darnton no.689]
Essai[s]
politique[s] sur l'Žtat actuel de quelques puissances [by Rutledge]
Le Bon sens
[see the commentary]
Recueil de comŽdies
dont la [Nouvelle] Messaline [21934-35: Le Bordel, etc.] [by
varia, Recueil de comŽdies et de quelques chansons gaillardes]
Commentary: It
is impossible to know whether Le Bon sens refers to d'Holbach's Le
Bon sens, ou IdŽes naturelles opposŽes aux idŽes surnaturelles (first
edition 1772; Darnton no.66) or to d'Argens's Philosophie du bon sens
(1737; Darnton no.544). One might suspect that d'Holbach's book was targetted
rather than d'Argens's. Both books were in the Bastille's repository when it
fell. See appendix K, A-123 and A-255. It is worth noting that La
Philosophie du bon sens was openly sold at the Chambre syndicale on 23 July
1778 to benefit the creditors of Bauche. The seven copies were bought by Nyon
for 5 livres 1 sol (f.fr.21823, f.180). Included in the sale were the Histoire
du peuple de Dieu (1 copy, 12 vols, bought by Fournier le jeune for 16
livres 5 sols); MŽmoires secrets de la rŽpublique des lettres
(Bachaumont, 1 copy bought by Nyon for 4 livres 5 sols); Lettres juives
(d'Argens, 7 copies bought by Colombier for 3 livres 10 sols); Lettres
chinoises (d'Argens, several copies bought by PrŽvost, Colombier, Tilliard,
mostly not priced), and other books that had been and sometimes still were in
trouble in 1778.
The shipment included
other books, marked in f.fr.21935 with a note: 'rendu les articles croisŽs'.
These were not banned books and thus not sent to the Bastille:
Tables
gŽnŽalogiques des maisons souveraines in-4 [TableÉ in 21934] (by
Koch)
Ordonnance[s] pour
la cavalerie [could be various works]
MŽmoire[s] d'un
homme de qualitŽ (by the abbŽ PrŽvost)
Dictionnaire
d'Hypiatrique [d'Hippiatrique in 21934 which is correct] in-4
(probably La Fosse's Dictionnaire raisonnŽ d'hippiatrique, cavalerieÉ)
idem in-8
Histoire de
Franois Ier par Gaillard
Nouvelle HŽlo•se
(J.-J. Rousseau)
Manuel du
naturaliste (probably Buffon's book)
MŽmoires sur
l'ancienne chevalerie de Sainte-Palaye [La Curne de Sainte-Palaye].
The signature box in
f.fr.21934 is inscribed 'Vernay p.r M.r de Brivasar', neatly
struck with a line. The decision box contains a note, also struck: 'ˆ rendre
par ordre du 9 avril 1783' followed by an explanation: 'ces livres ont ŽtŽ
transportŽs ˆ la Bastille par jugement de M. Lenoir du 18 dŽcembre 1782; c'est
pourquoi on a effacŽ la signature, qui avait ŽtŽ mise en vertu d'un ordre'.
The same Etat
has an entry for yet another book absent from Darnton's Corpus not
discussed elsewhere in this study, dated 23 November [no year]. We learn that a
package was seized from La Porte and that 11 copies of some []Observations
sur la destruction du Palais royal wound up in the Bastille (no.146,
shipment letters M.D.P., p.2). This would be the anonymous Observations sur
la destruction de la promenade du jardin du Palais-royal, lettre d'un Anglais
Žtabli ˆ Paris ˆ milord P***, ˆ Londres, (Amsterdam 1781). The book was
imported by Laporte from Valenciennes and arrived on or about 9 November 1781
(f.fr.21934, f.34; f.fr.21935, no.304 dated 23 November 1781). It was
confiscated as a novelty, and the importation register at 21935 does not
provide any information about the outcome. Neither is the name of a censor
mentioned. The Chambre syndicale register at f.fr.21934 has Cardonne's name in
the decision box, but whether that refers to the preceding item (Histoire
ecclŽsiastique, presumably Fleury's) which was subject to copyright
squabbling or to the Observations is not clear. The very fact the book
wound up in the Bastille is sufficient reason to indicate that the book did not
make it through.
(***)
No.21. Selected examples of the connections between Paris and the
provinces
Early in 1781 a sieur de TrŽcourt warned the keeper of the seals
that the notorious Vie privŽe de Louis XV (by Mouffle d'Angerville) was
being sold in Sedan. So an order was sent to the local booktrade policeman to
go on an inspection tour of the bookshops in that town 'et surtout chŽs le Sr.
Hennuy'. A letter was also written to the 'prŽv™t gŽnŽral de la marŽchaussŽe'
in Metz to raid Marotte's premises. The minutes of all this do not record what
the inspector found in Sedan, but Marotte was clean as a whistle (f.fr.21862,
'V', p.1).
On 13 August discussion focussed on a packet seized in Bordeaux
containing copies of the Vie privŽe de Louis XV. The decision was swift:
'au pilon'. Copies of the same book confiscated from the 'voituriers' Guillaume
Bonnet and Henri Marsas, a shipment originating in Avignon, were burnt at the
stake (late 1781 or January 1782).
In 1787 the inspector in Caen wrote the booktrade administration
that 'tous les mauvais livres qui se rŽpandent dans ce pays' mostly came from
Rouen. He complained that the booksellers in the Norman capital seemed to enjoy
unlimited freedom to act as they pleased. It was suggested that d'HŽmery be
sent on an inspection tour of the shops in the city to seize prohibited books.
Instead Vidaud de La Tour proposed to the keeper of the seals that a letter be
written to the Rouen inspector to exhort him to increased vigilance in these
matters. 'Monseigneur' acquiesced (f.fr.22040, 'C', p.21). We can suspect that
a letter would have done little to change the situation. The Registres de la
librarie contain much information about books confiscated in the provinces.
See for example f.fr.22040 under 'L'.
The administration in Paris was upset about a book evidently
printed in the provinces, the []Harangue des femmes et filles de la ville
d'HŽnin-LiŽtard en Artois (unidentified). So a copy was sent to the
'intendant' (governor) of Flandres to see if the printer and author could not
be found out. The work, decidedly banned, caused a lot of spilled ink and even
involved the lieutenant of the mounted police, that is the 'marŽchaussŽe'
(f.fr.21866 [1785], 'H', p.2, 24 January and p.5, 26 April).
In 1785 the central administration got wind that a []Manuel
thŽologique en forme de dictionnaire 'imprimŽ au Vatican' (without a doubt
a false imprint) was making the rounds in Normandy. The vicar of Serqueux
tattled which led to correspondence between Villedeuil and Vergennes. The
upshot was that the governor of the province, PontcarrŽ, was informed that his
parlement 'a trs bien fait de condamner ce livre inf‰me ˆ tre bržlŽ et
lacŽrŽ par les mains du bourreau'. A key-word title search in the BNC
failed to pull up a book which might correspond to this banned book. It is
however listed in OCLC as the anonymous Manuel thŽologique en forme de
dictionnaire (Au Vatican: Imprimerie du Conclave, 1785), 2 vols with copies
in the library of the Institut de France (absent from Conlon). Weller (p.227)
claims that the book was published 'par l'abbŽ Bernier', and he attributes it
to d'Holbach. (Nothing is recorded about the imprint.) The title is absent from
Barbier's Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes.
(***)
No.22. Selected proscriptions and other information gleaned from
the 'journal' of the Paris Chambre syndicale.
Among the many sources that can be exploited for information
concerning prohibited books -- and much more -- are the journals ('registres')
of the Chambre syndicale in Paris. These contain minutes of the frequent
meetings, information about members of the guild (just when they were admitted
for example), and items that the administration requested be registered usually
by copying out the pertinent document in full followed by the authenticating
signature of one or more officers of the guild. According to Omont's Catalogue
gŽnŽral des manuscrits franais (1898), i.414, these are extant as a series
extending from 1674 right into the Revolution, 1791 (f.fr.21855-21861). The
following information, not discussed elsewhere, is mostly extrapolated from the
volume covering 15 May 1759 through 19 July 1775 (f.fr.21859). The last entry
derives from the sequel (21860). The registers covering the years 1750-1791
were read, and information was used as appropriate elsewhere. The entries are
in chronological order with the foliation supplied by the secretary at the time
for 21859 (f.251-493). References to Darnton are to his Corpus. See too
no.16 in this appendix.
On 21 July 1759 (f.fr.21859, f.253), an Arrt du conseil d'Žtat
struck the privilege of the Journal Žtranger. It was registered and
transcribed in the journal (no printed copy found).
On 31 May 1761 (f.fr.21859, f.278), an Arrt du conseil d'Žtat
banned an []Ep”tre sur les spectacles, ou Mon retour ˆ Paris.
By Huerne de la Mothe; Genve 1761, 14p. in-8 (BNC).
On 19 August 1763 (f.fr.21859, f.313), an Arrt du conseil
banned an []Extrait des registres du parlement de Bordeaux du 19 aožt 1763
(no printed copy found).
There are a number of similar works listed by the BNC but not this
one.
On 15 July 1764 (f.fr.21859, f.323), Pierre Machuel, a bookseller
and second adjoint in Rouen, was proscribed by an Arrt du conseil for
dealing in dangerous books.
On 29 June 1765 (f.fr.21859, f.337), a []MŽmoire pour le chapitre
de l'Žglise cathŽdrale de BŽziers and a []PrŽcis pour le chapitreÉ
both signed by ma”tre Ragon and printed by Quilleau [Quillau] were banned by
the Conseil d'Žtat.
MŽmoire pour le chapitre de l'Žglise cathŽdrale deÉ BŽziers,
dŽfendeur, contre les maire, consuls et habitans de la mme villeÉ,
[Paris]: impr. de Quillau, 1795 [for 1759] (BNC). This contains four separate
works including the PrŽcis pour le chapitre de l'Žglise cathŽdrale de la
ville de BŽziers, dŽfendeur, contre les maire, consulsÉ
On 18 July 1766 (f.fr.21859, f.351), an Arrt du conseil
banned []De l'autoritŽ du clergŽ et du pouvoir du magistrat politique sur
l'exercice des fonctions du ministre ecclŽsiastique et sa politique sur
l'exercice des fonctions du ministre ecclŽsiastique.
BNC: truncated title, 'Par M***, avocat au parlement', Amsterdam
[Paris]: ArkstŽe et Merkus, 1766, 2 vols in-8; by Fr. Richer 'd'aprs le P.
Lelong'.
On 7 January 1767 (f.fr.21859, f.354), Jacques-Hubert Butard, a
printer-bookseller in Paris, was condemned to a hefty 300 livre fine by an Arrt
du conseil for having printed a []Lettre d'un docteur ˆ Mr l'Žvque de
***; the book was ordered destroyed.
BNC: Ɉ M. l'Žvque de *** sur les Observations de M. de
BeaumontÉ touchant les sermons du P. JaubertÉ, with other texts, n.p. n.d.,
1766 proposed in one record, none in the second and more detailed one. Father
de GŽry is the stated author of one of the texts, the RŽponse sommaireÉ
No printed copy of the decree has been located. A manuscript copy
can be consulted in f.fr.22098, no.60, f.167. Minutes of the raid (16 December
1766) follow (no.61, f.168); Marolles and Sartine's order to d'HŽmery (12
December and 15 December) with other documents round out the dossier
(nos.63-65).
On 3 April 1767 (f.fr.21859, f.357), Jean-Augustin GrangŽ, a Paris
printer-bookseller, was condemned to a 300 livre fine by an Arrt du conseil
for having added a []Histoire du Parnasse et de ses environs to a
privileged book, RŽcrŽations historiques. He had no permit to do so (no
printed copy of the decree located).
This would refer to Dreux du Radier's RŽcrŽations historiques,
critiques, morales et d'Žrudition, avec l'histoire des fous en titre d'office.
Par M. D. D. A. auteur des Anecdotes des rois, reines et rŽgentes de France,
Paris: Robustel, veuve Duchesne, 1767, 2 vols in-8 (Ars. 8-BL.35238[1-2]). The
last part of the book comprises an Histoire du Parnasse et de ses environs
(head-title), ii.263-357. The book was approved by Dalbaret (2 August 1766),
and a privilege was issued to Robustel on 29 October 1766 for three years (that
is, a pre-1777 simple permit).
On 4 October 1767 (f.fr.21859, f.361-63), a long Arrt du
parlement was issued concerning the printing of decrees (no printed copy
found).
On 11 August 1770 (f.fr.21859, f.414), an Arrt du conseil
was issued banning []Du droit du souverain sur les biens-fonds du clergŽ et
des moines; Pierre-Nicolas Gauguery and Nicolas-Robert Segault lost their
jobs for selling it. Besongne, a Rouen printer, was fined 300 livres for his
part in the affair. There are several copies of the printed decree in the BNF.
On 23 January 1775 another decree reinstated the two booksellers for
humanitarian reasons. They were in financial trouble, couldn't educate or
establish their children, and four years of interdiction was considered a
sufficient punishment (AN, E.2519, no.14, f.31).
Éet des moines, et de l'usage qu'il peut faire de ces biens
pour le bonheur des citoyens, Naples, la prŽsente annŽe. The BNC proposes
Cerfvol (or Cervol) as the author after Barbier, and 'juillet 1770, suivant une
note'. An administrative note provides more information about the attribution:
'2 aožt 1770. Droit du souverain sur les biens fonds du clergŽ et des moines,
brochure in-8o attribuŽe ˆ M. de Cervolle ou plut™t ˆ M. le M. de PuysŽgur.
ImprimŽe ˆ Rouen chez Besongne, et distributŽe par Segault et Gauguery,
libraires. Ordre du deux aožt 1770 pour saisir ledit ouvrage' (f.fr.22070,
no.17, f.26). Considerably more about this affair can be perused in f.fr.22070
including the second interrogation of Nicolas-Robert Segault detained in
Fort-l'Evque. The book was evidently published in July and available in Paris
by the end of the month.
On 5 January 1772 (f.fr.21859, f.435), Franois-Henri Turpin's []Histoire
civile et naturelle du royaume de Siam et des rŽvolutions qui ont bouleversŽ
cet empire jusqu'en 1770, publiŽe sur les manuscrits qui ont ŽtŽ communiquŽs
par M. l'Žvque de Tabraca vicaire apostolique de Siam et autres missionnaires
de ce royaume, published by Costard with an approbation and privilege,
Paris: Costard, 1771, 2 vols in-12, was banned because of reprehensible changes
and insertions made without permission.
On 16 March 1772 (f.fr.21859, f.441), the Conseil d'Žtat issued a
decree concerning the works of Bossuet. It is a long complicated document that
has never been published.
On 28 November 1772 (f.fr.21859, f.455), the Lettres
provinciales was banned by the Conseil d'Žtat.
Darnton, no.399; Pierre Bouquet, Lettres provinciales, ou Examen impartial de l'origine,
de la constitution et des rŽvolutions de la monarchie franaise, par un avocat
de province ˆ un avocat de Paris, 2 vols, La Haye: Le Neutre; Paris:
Merlin, 1772. Darnton cites police confiscations in two out of ten lists,
Pilon's and Prot's. (The list of books confiscated from Prot is in the Arsenal,
ms. 10305, two nested folio bifolia, 8p., titled Etat des imprimŽs tant
brochŽs qu'en feuilles saisis sur le nommŽ Prot tant ˆ Paris qu'ˆ
Saint-Germain-en-Laye ainsi qu'il suit). Copies of the book wound up in the
Bastille. See appendix K, A-194.
On 19 December 1772 (f.fr.21859, f.455), Raynal's Histoire
philosophique was banned by the Conseil d'Žtat. The edict was registered at
the Chambre syndicale by C. A. Jombert pre the syndic on 5 January 1773.
On 17 January 1773 (f.fr.21859, f.456), a decree from the Conseil
d'Žtat banned the RŽflexions philosophiques sur le Systme de la nature,
'introduit d'abord de l'Žtranger en France et pour lequel il a ŽtŽ accordŽ un
privilge le dix-sept novembre mil sept cent soixante-douze. Sa MajestŽ auroit
reconnu que malgrŽ la soliditŽ avec laquelle l'auteur a entrepris de rŽfuter un
ouvrage impie, cet imprimŽ contient nŽanmoins des Žcarts contraires aux
vŽritables principes de la religion et du gouvernement', so the privilege was
revoked, the work proscribed, and so on.
Darnton no.613 cites police confiscations, two of ten lists namely
Pilon's and Prot's. This book, by Georg Jonathan von Holland, went through
several editions, the first[?] with an imprint for Londres 1773. The Systme
de la nature is by d'Holbach. The BNC notes that the RŽflexions
philosophiques was printed in France 'd'aprs le matŽriel typographique'
and because it bears 'l'estampille "au soleil" de l'inspecteur de la
librairie d'OrlŽans'. The latter has nothing to do -- necessarily! -- with
where a book was printed; it simply legitimated the copy stamped. The signature
is that of Reyrac, inspector and author of the bestseller L'Hymne au soleil.
The abbŽ de Reyrac was appointed inspector by a royal decree dated 2 August
1776, replacing the abbŽ Loyseau who had resigned. The RŽflexions
philosophiques was sent to the Bastille, and several copies survived its
storming. See appendix K, A-50.
On 20 November 1773 (f.fr.21859, f.472), an Arrt du conseil
banned the Histoire gŽnŽrale de l'Žtat prŽsent de l'Europe [traduite de
l'anglais], 2 vols in-12 [LondresÉ 1774]. The bookseller Jean-Pierre
Costard lost his job for a year for having published it.
Darnton, no.306 after a police confiscation (one list of ten,
Pilon's) and one customs confiscation in 1773. The book, by Marc-Antoine
Eidous, appeared with a typical tacit-permit imprint, Londres; Paris: Costard
fils, 1774 (2 vols in-12). Information about this case is available in
f.fr.22070, no.31-32, f.60-2. Copies wound up in the Bastille. See appendix K,
A-312. The book was included in the Catalogue hebdomadaire, unusually
among the 'Livres nationaux, avec privilge', 21 August 1773 (no.34, art.3).
The set was priced 6 livres and was post-dated, a common ploy to help increase
marketability. See the next entry.
On 5 December 1773 (f.fr.21859, f.472), GrangŽ, the printer of the
Histoire gŽnŽrale, was also proscribed for a year by an Arrt du
conseil (no printed copy located); see the preceding entry..
From that document we learn that the edition run consisted of 1500
copies. GrangŽ was reinstated by another decree dated 24 April 1774 (f.477).
The reason was that such an interdiction was too deleterious to his business.
There is no record of Costard's interdiction being lifted in the Chambre's
'journal', perhaps because there was none. Costard was signaled out for having
'dŽjˆ contrevenu diffŽrentes fois [aux rglements de la librairie]' in the
decree condemning him. There is no mention of past misbehaviour in GrangŽ's.
On 23 January 1775 (f.fr.21859, f.488), an Arrt du conseil
banned an []Examen du plan d'impositions oeconomique etc.
That document has never been published, and since it is
interesting from more than one point of view, it is transcribed in full in
appendix H at January 1775. This is the Examen du plan d'imposition
Žconomique et d'administration des finances, de M. Richard des Glannires,
proposŽ en 1763 par le parlement de Bordeaux, avec un moyen sžr et facile pour
supprimer et rembourser les fermiers gŽnŽraux et les receveurs des taillesÉ par
M. Thomas, Paris: l'auteur, 1774, 28p. in-4 (BNC).
On 23 January 1775 (f.fr.21859, f.489), Gauguery and Segault were
reinstated by a decree from the Conseil d'Žtat (never published). See 11 August
1770 above.
On 25 May 1775 (f.fr.21859, f.492), an Arrt du conseil
banned the []RŽflexions d'un citoyen sur le commerce des grains because
it was published in an unacceptable version different from what the censor had
read (who had also required changes). Ruault the publisher and Clousier the
printer lost their positions forever, as ever in principle. (This decree
remains unpublished).
The precise book is not identified. It is absent from OCLC, RLIN,
COPAC. The BNC holds RŽflexions d'un citoyen sur le commerce des bleds et
farines et sur les moyens de procurer au royaume une subsistance assurŽe et
rŽglŽe, Paris: Samson, n.d., but that appears to be a later work. The
original of this decree can be consulted in the AN, E.2519, f.183, no.87; the
title is indeed Écommerce des grains. As was so often the case, the
interdiction did not last long. The two were reinstated by another 'arrt' on 8
July 1775 for humanitarian reasons, and the fine was reduced to 500 livres (AN,
E.2516, f.36, no.18). That edict was also registered at the Chambre syndicale
by the syndic Saillant (f.fr.21860, f.1). Contemporary ms. copies of the
proscription and restitution decrees are in f.fr.22070, no.42, f.79-80 and
no.46, f.85-68 where considerably more information about this case is available.
On 1 July 1775 (f.fr.21959, f.493), a decree from the Conseil
d'Žtat revoked the privileges of the Journal de lŽgislation and the Recueil
d'Ždits, but the periodicals were not banned. Certain changes were ordered.
On
2 September 1775, an Arrt du conseil proscribed 'une Requte donnŽe au
Conseil des dŽpches de Sa MajestŽ par le sieur abbŽ Borde de Charmois, signŽe
de lui seul, et imprimŽe chez la veuve d'Houry'. The printer was condemned to
closing her business for three months. The abbŽ got off with a warning. The
book was judged 'comme contenant des expressions tŽmŽraires et injurieuses aux
magistrats de sa cour souveraine de Nancy et ˆ ceux de son Conseil, et
contraires au respect dž ˆ la justice de Sa MajestŽ dans son Conseil et dans sa
cour souveraine' (f.fr.21860, f.503). Borde de Charmois is absent from the BNC
as is, apparently, his Requte.
Mme d'Houry was
rehabilitated by an 'arrt' of 12 November 1775 before her three months were up
(21860, f.504r, unpublished). Basically she had been a good lady for
some 50 years in the trade, had been impressed by Borde de Charmois's qualities
(he was a lawyer), and had no idea that something he wrote in his own case
would be considered reprehensible. D'Houry also pleaded financial distress.
(***)
No.23. A paratextual
tale
As has been mentioned
in the main text, the authorities kept track of titles, false imprints (and
real ones too) as they tried to prevent the general public rushing out to buy a
book that might have appeared too provocative. The paratext mattered.
But provocative is as
provocative does. Here is a little story. The abbŽ de Fontenay's Antilogies
et fragmens philosophiques, ou Collection mŽthodique des morceaux les plus
curieux et les plus intŽressans sur la religion, la philosophie, les sciences
et les arts, extraits des Žcrits de la philosophie moderne (Amsterdam;
Paris: Vincent, 1774, 4 vols in-12) would at a quick glance seem to be a book
that would not have passed the censorship. But it was printed in France (Paris
probably) and appeared with a typical tacit-permit imprint. The copy seen
(Arsenal 8-BL.35270, 1-4) has cancels perhaps mandated by the government. When
the set was reissued in 1778, the title became even racier and the original
leaves were retained, Esprit des livres dŽfendus, ou Antilogies
philosophiques, ouvrage dans lequel on a recueilli les morceaux les plus
curieux et les plus intŽressans sur la religion, la philosophie, les sciences
et les arts, extrait des livres philosophiques les plus modernes, et les plus
connus (Amsterdam; Paris: Nyon l'a”nŽ, Laporte, 1777; Arsenal 8-BL.35278).
The contents disappoint from our point of view (banned books). After having
perused the book, I can see why the book passed, but it is difficult to
understand why the authorities allowed the title to remain, if they indeed did
do so.
For more about
paratext and the authorities, see the main text and appendix H at January 1775.
(***)
No.24. The visibility
of books restricted
As mentioned in the
main text, there were all sorts of nuances about placing limitations on books.
One of those was to allow a book to circulate but severely cramping its
visibility and thus, in principle, its marketability. The use of these
restrictions seem to have increased towards the end of the 1780s as the government
became more and more powerless to halt the circulation of books.
Sandwiched between
entries dated 14/12/86 and 11/1/87 in a tacit-permit register (f.fr.21985,
f.37) is the following notice, set off in a box: 'par une lettre de monsieur de
Vidaud du 18 janvier 1787, l'ouvrage intitulŽ: []Alexandrine de Ba***, ou
Lettres de la princess Catherine, enregistrŽ sur le registre, no.1015 dans
la feuille des permissions tacites du 17 mai 1786, a ŽtŽ arrtŽ, afin qu'il ne
soit pas rendu trop public'. That entry is on f.29v, as Alexandrine
de Ba.... trad. de l'allemand, and it is marked as 'permis'. This is
AndrŽ-Marie Guzman, ÉBa**, ou Lettres de la princesse Albertine contenant
les aventures d'Alexandrine de Ba**, son a•eule..., Paris: Buisson, 1786;
see the detailed notice in the BNC largely borrowed from MMF (86.1). Albeit not
banned, the government was obviously displeased with it. The novel was
nonetheless listed in the Catalogue hebdomadaire, under 'Livres
nouveaux, avec privilge', the first article in the issue dated 27 May 1786
(no.21).
(***)
No.25. The Etat des
livres condamnŽs ˆ tre mis au pilon [de la Bastille] par jugement du 23
juillet 1785
This manuscript,
housed in the Arsenal (in a box with other materials, ms. 10305) comprises 4f.,
8p. in-folio with information about books sent to the Bastille that were
confiscated at customs and sometimes elsewhere. It was compiled as a result of
an administrative decision made on 23 July 1785 about all sorts of books
bearing a direct relationship with inspections at the Paris Chambre syndicale.
Some of these books are classified as 'non rŽclamŽs de la douane' which, when
one peruses the titles, is understandable.
Not all were condemned
however. Some were still waiting a decision in spite of the title of the
document.
The following is
reported in stylised fashion:
1. information from
the first column largely comprising shipment numbers and initials;
2. date;
3. from whom
confiscated;
4. 'ballot', 'caisse'
and so on when given;
5. number of copies
and the title;
6. commentary when
judged necessary.
The shipment numbers
and initials are particularly important since they permit matching entries in
this document with those in the customs and Chambre syndicale registers
(f.fr.21934, 21935). This Etat often does not list all books in a given
shipment, in most cases because not all were condemned to prison. Additional
titles (and information) gleaned from f.fr.21934-35 (especially the latter) are
provided in brackets or in the commentaries. In some instances, conversely, the
Etat provides more titles than either 21935 or 21934.
Included is
information from f.fr.21935 and 21934. The 'Žtats' were largely compiled from
books shipped to Paris via customs. The shipment numbers are not the entry
numbers in f.fr.21935. See the main text for explanations. F.fr.21934 adds
where the shipment came from, but usually little or nothing more. Some entries
are only recorded in one of the two customs registers. In the many cases when
no decision is recorded in 21934-35, the fact that the books ended up in the
Bastille indicates that it was negative. Books bypassing the system are not
listed in either of them. Especially towards the end of the document, not
enough information is provided to permit matching up entries with those in 21934-35
although there are time-consuming ways occasionally to get around this problem.
Some of the following
entries have been cited elsewhere with further information provided about
individual cases. The entire contents of the document are brought together here
for the reader's convenience.
There are three
'Žtats' corresponding to the three sections below. The order is that of the
original. Year dates are not always provided and have often been inferred.
Since the entries are not in chronological order, inferred years cannot be
accepted as absolutes unless confirmation can be obtained from other sources,
in these cases largely from f.fr.21934-35.
When no decision,
ultimate or otherwise, is provided by the customs registers, the mere fact that
the books were sent to the Bastille speaks for itself.
A reminder: 'rayŽ'
means 'rayŽ de la feuille des permissions tacites', that is struck and not
allowed through although decisions could be reversed. But being sent to the
Bastille was a fairly definitive act.
Elsewhere in the same
box is a brief letter with a note on it in a different hand. This would have a
direct relationship to the Etat des livres condamnŽs:
Je prie monsieur le
gouverneur, ou monsieur Delorme, de faire placer tous les paquets, ballots et
bo‘tes dans un lieu fermŽ, et de les garantir, s'il est possible, de l'humiditŽ
en mettant des planches dessous. / J'ai l'honneur d'tre avec respect son trs
humble et trs obŽissant serviteur / Martin // le 11 aožt 1785 / en tout 76
paquets, 6 ballots ou bo‘tes arrivŽs le 11 aožt 1785.
Several inventories of
books housed in the Bastille have been mentioned in this book, and sometimes
transcribed. Those interested in the mid-century would want to consult the Etat
des ouvrages imprimŽs qui sont au dŽp™t de la Bastille tant parfaits
qu'imparfaits et dont a retirŽ plusieurs exemplaires pour tre remis ˆ M.
Berryer, lieutenant gŽnŽral de police dating to May 1749 (Arsenal, ms.
7067, f.57-60). It is in Duval's hand. He was the principle secretary in the
police office. That 'Žtat' is tucked away in a tract volume that contains,
among other things, some 'keys' identifying real people in various books (the Dictionnaire
des prŽcieuses, the Espion turcÉ). See Henry Martin's Catalogue
des manuscrits de l'Arsenal (Paris 1892), iv.376-77.
See appendix K for
more information about books housed in the Bastille.
1. Premier Žtat
No.52, M.D.; 12 April
1782; M. Dulau; une caisse; 150 estampes libres des Contes de Boccace
dans une caisse.
These were seized
'comme prohibŽs', and no decision is recorded in f.fr.21935, no.342. The
shipment was imported from Valenciennes (21934, f.37).
No.116, L.C.; 19
April; M. Le Couteux [Le Coulteux]; un paquet; 36 MŽmoire pour les
crŽanciers unis des Srs Pierre Antoine Gautier [or Gauthier].
This was confiscated
as a 'nouveautŽ' and 'rayŽ' on 11 May 1782 (f.fr.21935, no.349). The shipment
came from Rouen (21934, f.37). The work remains unlocated.
No.117, P.; no date;
M. Poinot; un ballot; 100 Confessions de J. J. Rousseau.
This would refer to a confiscation made from
Poinot on or about 3 May 1782 (but as no.177). The copies were seized since
the book was a 'nouveautŽ' (not quite accurate in May 1782), and no decision is
recorded in f.fr.21935, no.353; neither is the number of copies given. The
shipment came from Lyon (21934, f.37). In the main text, it is mentioned that
Cazin openly published large segments of Rousseau's OEuvres during the
early 1780s. He was not alone. Aside from the Geneva edition quickly imported
into France, Duplain of Lyon also put out a magnificent quarto edition of the OEuvres
(Londres, 1770s-1783), 12 vols. The last three volumes comprise the OEuvres
posthumes and include the Confessions (Londres, 1782-1783). The
versos of the half-titles of vols 2 and 3 boldly bear: 'Cette Edition en 12
Volumes grand in-4o. ornŽe de 38 Planches, se trouve a Paris... rue de la ComŽdie
Franoise, chez Pierre J. Duplain, Libraire ˆ Lyon'.
No.3, B.; 3 May
[1782]; M. La Porte; 1 Histoire philosophique de l'abbŽ Raynal.
That was confiscated
'comme prohibŽ'. F.fr.21935, no.355 does not record the number of copies or the
fate of the book. The shipment came from Besanon (21934, f.37).
No.50, tt
[livre sign]; 7 May [1782]; M. de Hansy; un ballot; 60 MŽmoire pour M. le
comte de Mirabaud [Mirabeau].
It was seized as a
'nouveautŽ', and f.fr.21935, no.355bis does not record the number of copies or
the books' fate. The shipment came from Lyon (21934, f.37). The MŽmoire
might be part of the Monnier affair.
No.65, F.; 10 May
[1782]; Mme de Montaric [or Fontaric]; un ballot; 27 MŽmoire, id.
F.fr.21935, no.365
informs us that this was the MŽmoire ˆ consulter pour M. le Cte de Mirabeau,
confiscated as a novelty, read by Lavalette, and 'rayŽ' on 24 July 1782. The
ultimate fate of the copies is not spelt out. The shipment came from Lyon
(21934, f.37). The MŽmoire may be part of the Monnier case.
No.164, O.F.; 26 April
[1782]; M. Onfroy; un ballot; 200 PrŽcis sur le comte de Vair.
F.fr.21935, no.353
fleshes out the title (PrŽcis historiqueÉ), notes that it was
confiscated as a novelty, then sent to M. de SŽgur for his opinion on 2 May,
and 'rayŽ' on 11 May 1782. The shipment came from Versailles (21934, f.37). The
latter adds an order, 'saisir les exemplaires'. This is by Toustain de
Richebourg, himself a royal censor. See appendix K, C-33.
No.91, B.; 17 May
[1782]; M. Batillot; un ballot; 50 MŽmoire de Mirabaud [Mirabeau].
This confiscation /
condemnation seems to be absent from f.fr.21935. The shipment came from
Besanon (21934, f.38). The latter adds, 'saisir les exemplaires' and '[rayŽ]
sur la feuille des permissions tacites du 14 juillet 1782'.
No.112, L.B.G.; 31 May
[1782]; M. Luneau de Boisjermain; un ballot; 50 Essai sur le bien public [by Claude-Boniface
Collignon, Neuch‰tel: Impr. de la SociŽtŽ typographique, 1776].
This was confiscated
as a novelty, examined by de Saineville, and 'rayŽ' on 29 July 1782; number of
copies not specified (f.fr.2935, no.360). The shipment
came from Sedan (21934, f.38).
No.1, M.P.; 4 June
[1782]; M. le prieur des dominicains; un paquet; 100 Marie-ThŽrse
[d'AutricheÉ] ˆ son fils [anon.].
These copies were
confiscated as a 'nouveautŽ et en nombre ˆ un particulier', sent to the comte
de Vergennes for an opinion on 20 June 1782, then 'rayŽ' on 6 July 1782; number
of copies not specified (f.fr.21935, no.362). The shipment came from [PŽronne?]
(21934, f.38). It also contained the Histoire du couvent des dominicains ˆ
Flandres which passed. The latter might be the Histoire du couvent des
frres prcheurs de la ville de Lille en Flandre (Lige 1782) cited by
Conlon (1782, no.345).
No.92, G.D. et no.75, tt
['livre' symbol] et no.101, L.C.; 14 et 18 juin [1782]; Mrs Gaudray, Toustain
et Chicaneau; 174 MŽmoires de Tromjolli [Tronjolly] en 3 paquets; in the
margin: '4 paquets'.
F.fr.21935, no.368 is
a record for the RŽponse de M. Tronjolly ˆ un mŽmoire de MM. les directeurs,
etc., no.92 for M. Guendrai, no.75 for M. Toustain, seized as a novelty,
read by Lavalette, and 'rayŽ on 6 July 1782; number of copies not given. What
is apparent from 21934, f.38, is that three shipments were involved all coming
from Rennes, one sent to M. Guaudrai, another to Toustain (both with the RŽponseÉ),
the third to Chicaneau with the same work (f.38). The same work from the same
town was also sent to M. Lepinay (18 June 1782); same fate (21934, f.38). For
pamphlets concerning the affair centring on Franois-Anne-Louis Phelippes de
Coatgoureden de Tronjolly from Rennes, search the CCFr.
No.107, L.D.; 18 June
[1782]; M. de Lodonne; un paquet; 1 Vie privŽe de Louis XV [by Mouffle
d'Angerville].
F.fr.21935, no.370
notes that the copy comprised 4 vols 'brochŽs', the name reads Lidonne,
confiscated as 'prohibŽ' with no final decision recorded. The shipment came
from Angoulme; 'Lidonne' so spelt (21934, f.38).
No.126, M.B.; 21 May
[1782]; M. Burgaud; un paquet; 50 Marie-ThŽrse [d'AutricheÉ] ˆ son fils
[anon.].
This confiscation
appears to be absent from f.fr.21935. The shipment came from Sedan (21934,
f.38); the entry is dated 21 June 1782. The year is not supplied in the Etat.
No.122, L.C.; no date;
M. de Mortagne; un panier; 2000 Usage de la poudre de Godernaux.
F.fr.21935, no.371
records the title as Usage de la poudre antivŽnŽrienne de M. le chev. de
Godernaux, confiscated as a novelty and passed on to the police for an
opinion. None is recorded in the register; neither is the number of copies. The
shipment came from Sainte-Menehould (21934, f.39).
There is no copy of
this work listed in the BNF or in CCFr; it is not listed by Conlon. This is the
Usage de la poudre antivŽnŽrienne de M. le chev. de Goderneaux, 1 sheet
in-8, 15p., p.1 being the titlepage (verso blank), n.p., n.d. There are 19
copies of this pamphlet in the Arsenal, nestled in ms. 10313, folded, uncut.
The entry in Funck-Brentano's Catalogue des manuscrits de la Bibliothque de
l'Arsenal, Archives de la Bastille (Paris 1892), ix.4 is woefully
inadequate. (Only one of the many items in this box is mentioned, leaving out
banned pamphlets, parts of books banned and otherwise, prospectusesÉ).
No.29, M.B.; 9 July
1782; M. Blaisot [Blaizot]; un ballot; 13 Recueil gŽnŽral des ariettes
and 13 Lettres persanes.
F.fr.21935, no.373 (as
'Blaizot') and 21934, f.39 ('Blaisot') provide only one title, a Recueil
gŽnŽral d'ariettes confiscated as a piracy (21935) or as a novelty (21934).
The shipment came from OrlŽans (21934, f.39). No further information is
provided.
No.46, tt
['livre' sign] and T.[?]; M. Hecquet; un paquet; 50 MŽmoire de la communautŽ
de Pontholles [Pontholler?] contre Mr le comte d'Artois.
F.fr.21935, no.374 (ÉCtŽ
de Poutholes?), confiscated as a novelty, sent to M. de Monthion on 19 July
1782 for an opinion, and 'permis' on 24 [29?] July 1782. So it is a bit of a
mystery why the copies ended up in the Bastille; a change of opinion? The
shipment came from Amiens (21934, f.39). The work remains unidentified.
No.14, M.R.;