The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-02-10 00:00:00

LETTRES DP CACHET.

[From VoL 1. of " Voltaire's Political Dictionary," just pub-
lished.l
" In 1723, Father Fouquet, a Jesuit, returned to France
from China, where be bad passed twenty-five years.
Religious disputes had embroiled him with his brethren ;
he had carried with him to China a gospel different from
theirs, and now brought back to France memorials against
them. Two Chintae literati made the voyage along with
him ; one of diem died on the way, the other came with
Father Fouquet to Paris. This Jesuit was to take the
Chinese to Rome secretly, u a witness of the conduct of
the good fathers in China, and in the mean time Fouquet
and his companion lodged at the house of the Projined,
Rue St. Antoine.

" The reverend fathers received advice of their reve-
rend brother's intentions. Fouquet was no less quickly
informed of the designs of the reverend fathers ; he lost
not a moment, but set off' post the same night for Rotne.
The reverend fathers had interest enough to get him pur-
sued; but the Chinese only was taken. This poor fellow
did not understand a word of French. The good fathers
went to Cardinal Dubois, who at that time needed their
support; and told him that they had amongst them a
young man who had gone mad, and whom it was neces-
sary to confine. The Cardinal immediately granted a
lettre-de-cachet, than which there is sometimes nothing
which a minister is more ready to grant. The lieutenant
of police went to take this madman, who was pointed out
to him. lie found a man making reverences in a way dif-
ferent from the French, speaking in a singing tone, and
looking quite astonished. He expressed great pity for his
derangement, ordered his hands to be tied behind him,
and sent him to Charenton, where, like the abbe Desfon-
taines, he was flogged twice a week. The Chinese did not
at all understand this method of receiving strangers ; he
had passed only two or three days in Paris, and had found
the manners of the French very odd. He lived two years
on bread and water, amongst madmen and keepers ; and
believed that the French nation consisted of these two
species, the one part dancing while the other thrged
them.
" At length, when two years had daps( d, the ministry
changed, and a new lieutenant cf police was appointed.
This magistrate commenced his administration by visiting
the prisons. lie also saw the lunatics at Charenton. After
conversing with them, he asked if there were no other per-
sons for him to see? He was told that there was one more
unfortunate man ; but that he spoke a language that no-
body understood. A Jesuit who accompanied the might-
trate, said it was the peculiarity of this man's madness
that he never gave an answer in F,-eneh ; nothing would
be got from him, and be thought it would be better not
to take the trouble of calling him. The minister insisted.
The unfortunate man was brought, and threw himself at
his feet. The lieutenant sent for the King's interpreters,
who spoke to him in Spanish, Latin. Greek, and Imiglish,
but he constantly said, " Kenton, Kenton," and nothing
else. The Jesuit assured them he was possessed. The
magistrate, having at some time heard it said that there
was a province in China called Kenton, thought this man
might perhaps have come from thence. An interpreter to
the foreign missions was sent for, who could murder Chi-
nese. All was discovered. The magistrate knew not what
to do, nor the Jesuit what to say. The Duke de Bourbon
was then prime minister; the circumstance having been re-
lated to him, he ordered money and clothes to be given to
the Chinese, and sent him back to his own country, whence
it is not thought that many literati will come to see us in
future. It would have been more politic to have kept
this man and treated him well, than to have sent him to
give his countrymen the very worst opinion of the French.%