Memoirs of H. Masers de Latude during a confinement of thirty-five years in the state prisons of France. Of the means he used once to escape from the Bastile and twice from the dungeon of Vincennes, with the consequences of those events. Written by himself

1787 Subjects: Human rights Forms: Autobiographies Printing and Publishing Status: Simultaneous issues Translation Status: Integral English London URL

Authors of source text

Henri Masers de Latude Jean-Yrieix de Beaupoil, marquis de Saint-Aulaire

Contributions

Anonymous (52)

translator

Logographic Press

publisher

Related resources

is translation of

Histoire d'une détention de trente-neuf ans, dans les prisons d'état. Écrite par le prisonnier lui-même has translation

has paratext

Memoirs of H. Masers de Latude during a confinement of thirty-five years in the state prisons of France. Of the means he used once to escape from the Bastile and twice from the dungeon of Vincennes, with the consequences of those events (1787). Written by himself. paratext

Held by

• British Library

Notes

Two prefaces: one by the editor of the French source text and one by the translator.

The first is an attack on the barbaric use of lettres de cachet in France. Arbitrary punishment is not compatible with reason. The lettres de cachet make more victims than the Spanish Inquisition and Turkish Oblivions taken together. They have no place in a civilized society like the French one. No book is better suited to enlighten the rules of 'this country' (UK) about these injustices than the memoirs of Latude. The tone of this editor's preface is remarkably different from the translator's preface.

The translator's preface, on the other hand, contains a defence of King Louis XVI and of the system of the lettres de cachet. Although the English, who are blessed with a free constitution, rightly look upon them with abhorrence, in France the lettres have their use. Compare with the other translation of this text.