{"product_id":"memoirs-of-henry-masers-de-latude-bastille-captivity-and-escape-1787","title":"Memoirs of Henry Masers de Latude - Bastille Captivity and Escape, 1787","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLATUDE, Henri Masers de. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMemoirs of Henry Masers de Latude, During a Confinement of Thirty-five Years in the State Prisons of France\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLondon: Printed at the Logographic Press, 1787. \u003c\/span\u003eFirst edition of this English translation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLatude's extraordinary story began with an audacious attempt to win the favour of Madame de Pompadour. He secretly sent the royal mistress a threatening parcel, then presented himself as the loyal informant who had uncovered the supposed plot. The deception was discovered and in 1749 he was imprisoned by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003elettre de cachet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere followed decades of confinement in the Bastille, Vincennes and other state prisons, punctuated by remarkable escapes. His celebrated 1756 escape from the Bastille was made with Antoine Allègre using ladders fashioned from firewood and thread drawn from their clothing. The surviving rope ladder is now preserved at the Musée Carnavalet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished two years before the fall of the Bastille, Latude's memoir became part of the growing literature attacking arbitrary imprisonment under the ancien régime. His later reputation was complicated by substantial embellishments within his account, adding another dimension to his extraordinary story.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrinted at John Walter's experimental \u003c\/span\u003eLogographic Press\u003cspan\u003e, established only a few years before his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDaily Universal Register\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e became \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eContemporary marbled boards, expertly and sympathetically rebacked in calf with raised bands and gilt ruling. Early ownership inscription dated 1828.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early ownership inscription of the Rev. Edward Peacock (1820-1903), dated “Dec. 30. Fifehead” 1828, when Peacock was eight years old. Born at Fifehead Magdalen, the son of its vicar, Peacock later became Vicar of Road Hill, Wiltshire, and was closely involved in the aftermath of the notorious 1860 Road Hill House murder, serving as foreman of the inquest jury.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Henri Masers de Latude","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53379086582027,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/MemoirsofHenryMasersdeLatude-BastilleCaptivityandEscape_1787_1.jpg?v=1790060673","url":"https:\/\/www.archbooks.co.uk\/products\/memoirs-of-henry-masers-de-latude-bastille-captivity-and-escape-1787","provider":"Arch Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}