Henri Masers de LATUDE (1725-1805) adventurer, imprisoned fo - Lot 237

Henri Masers de LATUDE (1725-1805) adventurer, imprisoned for his machinations against Madame de Pompadour, he spent 35 years in prison despite his spectacular escapes. Manuscript, Mémoire de Mr (Henri) Delatude, ingénieur. Sa détention à la Bastille et au donjon de Vincennes, 1782 ; cahier in-4 de 36 ff. First version of Latude's memoirs, very different from the 1790 publication. This is a copy of the memoir sent by Madame Legros to President de Gourgues, who, moved by Latude's fate, was able to obtain his release from Louis XVI. This copy, with its neat, legible handwriting, may have been intended for printing, the title page having been heavily corrected. We indicate in square brackets the words that have been crossed out, and in italics the corrections. Mémoire [du Sr Henri Masers] de Mr de Latude, Ingénieur, [au sujet] prisonnier à la Bastille, contenant le détail des opérations qu'il a mises en usage pour s'échapper [trois fois, une fois de la Bastille] une fois de cette forteresse, et deux fois du donjon de Vincennes [et la suite de cet événement] / [No one can avoid his unfortunate fate by wanting to flee it one falls back into it]. 1° "Sic omniafatis in pejus ruere, ac retro sublapsareferri" 2° "Ex iterumcrudelia retro fatavocant". [In your last letter you inform me that at the mere recital of my misfortunes a virtuous person of great distinction has allowed herself to be affected by a tender pity for me, and that she wishes to have a description] You inform me, Sir, by your last letter, that persons distinguished by their merit and quality have been moved to pity by the account of my misfortunes, and that they have expressed to you a strong desire to have from myself the exact [well] and detailed relation [of my escape] both of my escape from the Bastille [and] of those from the dungeon of Vincennes"... Latude gives a detailed account of his escapes and their aftermath, beginning in September 1749, when he was transferred from the Bastille to Vincennes. He describes his conditions of imprisonment, which were to worsen as a result of Mme de Pompadour's vindictiveness.Enclosed is a period copy of a letter from Contrôleur général Calonne to Maréchale de Beauvau, May 12, 1786, concerning relief paid to Mme Legros, who sacrificed herself to rescue Latude (note by collector Villenave); and the minute of a letter from Palloy to Latude after reading his Mémoires, and sending him "a plan of this horrible Bastille" (January 26, 1791; with old copy of Latude's reply, February 6, 1791.