Trois lettres inédites de Fontenelle

Jean Sareil : Three unpublished letters from fontenelle. J. S. publishes here three unknown letters from Fontenelle (of whom few letters have been published so far) which give three differing views of their author. The first one (october 1717), sent to Mme de Lambert is very friendly ; the second one is a formal letter — but not without a sense of humour — sent to pope Benedict xivth (déc. 1743). The last letter, written in sept. 1746 (Fontenelle beeing 89 years old) to Cideville, a founding father of the Rouen Academy, is a witty request for money. the boldest French philosophers, but rather unknown until now. D. D. explains, by questions and answers, a metaphysical system which is built in opposition to the traditionaly religious and usually enlightened ways of thinking. The first part of this manuscript, found in Poitiers Public Library, has been published in Dix-huitième-siècle, N° 4 (1972).Sareil Jean. Trois lettres inédites de Fontenelle. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°5, 1973. Problèmes actuels de la recherche, sous la direction de Jacques Proust . pp. 205-210