Vansleb, the Oriental Scholar and Traveller, Chapter I-III [pp. 459-471]

470 Vansteb, the Oriental Scholar and Traveller.
Disgrace, ses (Luvres. far ff. PA~be' Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Coptic, and
1)oageois, Ctire' de J3oz~rron. Paris, Ethiopian, besides a large quantity
1869. The book is a large and of inscriptions on stone and metal,
handsome volume of 481 octavo marbles, medals, and animals, living
~ages. It has been freely used in and dead.
the preparation of this article. If we must believe Vansleb's tra The current misrepresentations con- ducer~, we witness the strange speccerning Vansleb were taken up into tacle of a defaulter insisting upon
the literary history of the period, and with difficulty obtaining an interand have been ever since repeated view with his principaL And this
by successive historians and biogra- not once, but twice and thrice. In
phers. Nevertheless, some of them one of his letters to Colbert, written
were apparently struck with the incon- March 20th, 1677, more than a
sistencies and contradictions involved month after his return to Paris, Vansin the charges against the defenceless leb claims as due him-fi'-st. The
monk, and gradually the most offen- amount expended in preparation for
sive of these were dropped. Among the journey he was about to underthe modern biographical notices of take when ordered back by the minVansleb, that contained in Charles ister. Second. The balance of his
Knight's English CydoA~dia (article last account rendered. Third. The
"Wansleben;" nearly identical with amount still unpaid him for books,
one in the fenny Cydo~~aia) is general- M5S., etc., sent to the Royal Library.
ly fair. It states, however, that Vans- Foitrth. His salary up to the time he
leb "was called to account for moneys was definitely discharged, at the third
intrusted to his disposal, and disgrac- and last audience accorded him by
ed for misapplying them." Although the minister. The letter referred to
the writer of that notice doubtless is dignified, finn~ and moderate-as
had the warrant of half a dozen bio- unlike as possible in its tone that of
graphies for making the statement, it a defaulter and a dishonest man.
is utterly devoid of truth; so much Thus, he tells Colbert,
so, indeed, that at the period of his "Perceiving that I have good reason to
death Vansleb was the creditor, not expect from your excellency neither munifithe debtor, of the French govern- cence nor liberality, nor even such an honment. Colbert was to have paid orable recompense as I had every just rea.
Vansleb the miserable salary 6f two son to look for after such long and importhousand francs per annum, and one tant labors, I at least do not anticipate from
your excellency's justice, since you insist
thousand francs for the purchase of upon a rigorous settlement, a refusal to pay
M55. and valuable curiosities! Even the balance due me for expenditures in the
allowing liberally for the difference in service of his majesty, and which I have not
the values of money then and now, claimed until now, for the reason that I was
warranted in presuming upon such a fair
two thousand francs still remains a remuneration as would cover it. In as few
pitiable sum wherewith to remune- words as possible, then, my lord, and with
rate one year's services of such a man rigorous exactitude, there is due me-"~
as Vansleb. " v~~~~t que V. E. ne me fait plus rien esperer
~Vith the miserable stipend of one ~qu~~1sqeo,~te ~iS~4~Olfi~SO~ et is iibe'raiit~, 5~5 m.em~o~
il~ousand francs per annum, he pur- ment Si Jieonc;uoeY5 et Jd%Ses,
chased and sent (in 167 1-72 and WcSeOd~~eS~P~Efl.SS, me PrO~ettstPOtU~7eflst ~de is
1673) to the Royal Library, where rigneur, me reVfii~sUers~Spls~~Ie pacieomseenst de
they still remain, four hundred and ~~u~~e~i~~~ue~s~~re~s~t~e~s~d~e ~dePen5e5 ~.ue~~~a~i~ f~5it~t5.colnn,msie les,
fifty-seven valuable M5S. and books, parier jusqu'a' pre's{en~5, is penf~ qJe~~ j