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The article presents a completely original point of view, concerning Voltaire’s works: the author studies the voyages that the great writer did not do. Historian of France by decision of the King, Voltaire modifies the historical matter, transforming it into a kind of novel of “manners” which made it an object of philosophical literature. As an example, to study this form of rewriting History, we analyze the case of Lapland and its population, the Sami, emblem of absolute exoticism, in the European imagination of the Enlightenment, since the 17th century

Équipe d’accueil du ministère de la Recherche, logé à l’Université de Paris-Sorbonne (Maison de la recherche, 28, rue Serpente, 75006 Paris), le crlv est présent dans un secteur scientifique dont le développement est quasi exponentiel depuis une quinzaine d’années. Quand il fut créé en 1984 à la Sorbonne, deux équipes en France (Grenoble et ens Fontenay-Saint-Cloud) et une en Italie (cirvi de Turin) travaillaient de manière constante sur la littérature de voyages. En 2006, plusieurs colloques...

Le statut de Malesherbes dans l’histoire politique et intellectuelle des Lumieres reste souvent plein d’ambiguite. Issu d’une famille de la Grande Robe parisienne, conscient de ses devoirs a l’egard du monarque a qui il devait son etat – et pour lequel il consentira au sacrifice final –, mais aussi partie-prenante de la fronde parlementaire par ses « Remontrances » de 1771, auteur de l’Edit de tolerance qui, deux ans avant la Revolution, reintegra les protestants dans la Nation francaise et soutien en plus d’une occasion des intellectuels qui eclairaient l’avenir, ce personnage-cle de la France des Lumieres avait su rassembler ces contradictions en une ligne de vie coherente. L’analyse du contenu de sa bibliotheque montre d’ailleurs, une curiosite ouverte et quasi encyclopedique. C’est par le biais de sa fonction de Directeur de la Librairie, veritable ministre de la Culture entre 1750 et 1763, que l’on peut mesurer a la fois sa fidelite a un emploi octroye par delegation de son pere, le chancelier de Lamoignon, et sa conscience profonde que le siecle exigeait une reforme intellectuelle, sinon une « revolution » au sens du temps, qui equilibrerait les pouvoirs, le politique comme le magistere de la reflexion qu’il entendait proteger sans neanmoins lui assigner des bornes trop contraignantes. Ses six Memoires sur la librairie et la liberte de la presse rediges de 1759 a 1788 theorisent ses principes et leur adaptation a la realite mouvante de ce qu’il ignorait etre la fin de l’Ancien Regime. L’image qui restera au siecle suivant du magistrat sera fonction de la priorite que l’on donnera au protecteur de l’Encyclopedie ou a l’avocat d’une cause qu’il savait perdue au proces de Louis XVI. Une reconciliation des deux images ne serait pas inutile.

François Moureau: Friedrich Dominicus Ring, one of Diderot's Publishers. The discovery of a rare fifth copy of the published edition of Diderot's little work Regrets sur ma vieille robe de chambre (1772) in the Berlin Staatsbibliothek has enabled the author of this article to solve the mystery surrounding its publication. It was published in Karlsruhe by the Strasbourg author and publisher Friedrich Domenicus Ring (1726-1809), and included in a collection of the pamphlets that he wrote or published. This article gives details on his life and productions and indicates that he probably obtained a copy of the manuscript of Diderot's work from the Correspondance littéraire received by the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt., Moureau François. Friedrich Dominicus Ring, éditeur de Diderot. In: Recherches sur Diderot et sur l'Encyclopédie, n°16, 1994. pp. 113-123.

Condillac and Mably : ten unpublished or rediscovered letters, presented by François Moure au. This article concerns seven letters by Condillac which had been lost since the end of the 19th Century at least, two other unpublished ones, and an unpublished letter by Mably. They provide a more exact reading of known documents and lead to reflections on the fate of the La Condamine-Maupertuis archives, which are the equivalent of the Berlin Formey archives for relations between Prussia and France during the Enlightenment. Investigations, as yet unfinished, in the Jagelon Library in Cracow, the Berlin State Library, the Archives of the Paris Science Academy, or in recent Paris auctions, provide provisional conclusions concerning these broken up collections., Moureau François. Condillac et Mably : Dix lettres inédites ou retrouvées. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°23, 1991. Physiologie et médecine. pp. 193-200.

Moureau François. Les Fables nouvelles (1719) de La Motte ou comment s’en débarrasser. In: Le Fablier. Revue des Amis de Jean de La Fontaine, n°2, 1990. La Fontaine et la tradition européenne de la fable (16-18 juin 1989) pp. 19-24.

François Moureau: Echoes of Diderot in Berlin in D.S. de Vandeul's Correspondence (1800-1801). Denis-Simon de Vandeul was in Berlin from 10th January 1800 to 25th October 1801 as secretary at the French Embassy. Madame de Vandeul was a close friend of Wilhelm von Humboldt and his wife, whom she had received in Paris, and the old court (including Prince Henry) gave a warm welcome to the Philosopher's grandson, who was trying to find some of Diderot's lost manuscripts in Berlin. In addition to the court, Vandeul mixed in Berlin society circles, above all the intellectuals and gentry. His view of this world is original and often subtle. His research was helped by his diplomatic status and the aura surrounding Diderot's grandson. A choice has been made from among the 127 letters sent to the Vandeuls (the only copy of which is owned by the editor) of passages concerning Diderot, his circle (Prince Henry, Grimm, Meister) and the edition of his works, as well as Mme de Vandeul or Frederik II and Voltaire. A complete edition of this correspondence is under way., Moureau François. Échos berlinois de Diderot dans la correspondance de son petit-fils, D.-S. de Vandeul (1800-1801). In: Recherches sur Diderot et sur l'Encyclopédie, n°17, 1994. pp. 149-157.

François Moureau : Diderot on Perronet's portrait : three unpublished letters. In a dossier put together by J. Doucet at the Bibliothèque d'Art et d'Archéologie de l'Université de Paris are all the documents concerning the engraving of the portrait of J.-R. Perronet, founder of the Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées and Encyclopaedist. Saint-Aubin's drawing was engraved by Ch. N. Cochin and the inscription was entrusted to Diderot. Two of his letters to P. Ch. Lesage, who was asked by the School to carry out this engraved tribute, and one letter to Perronet are of interest to Diderot specialists in view of Diderot's strange relationship with Perronet, lover of Mme Legendre, Sophie Volland's sister. There is perhaps a trace of irony in the inscription, where he celebrates "the friend and the father"., Moureau François. Diderot et le portrait de Perronet : Trois lettres inédites. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°16, 1984. D'Alembert. pp. 243-252.