When was it published?

March 9, 1799 in Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

Story March 9, 1799

Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

Q: What entities or persons were involved?

Cardinal De Retz, Bonneval, Trenck, Munchausen

Q: What keywords are associated?

French Character, Endurance Hunger, Siege Paris, Human Bones, Pomatum Survival

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

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What is this article about?

Critique of French insensibility to misfortune, with historical examples of extreme hunger endurance: Parisians eating pulverized human bones during the League's siege, and a Frenchman surviving nine days on hat pomatum.

Merged-components note: Epigraph bbox overlaps with the story bbox on French character traits.

Clipping

OCR Quality

95% Excellent

Full Text

Virere parvo.

Amongst the many disgusting traits in the French character, not least conspicuous, is their insensibility to reverse of fortune, and their contentment under exile and poverty. It has always marked them as of a lower grade, in mental endowment, than any other civilized nation: but it passes with many for a very opposite characteristic, and so let it pass.

Various writers have displayed this indifference of the French, under the most depressing misfortunes and calamities. In their endurance of hunger, however, and their ingenuity in alleviating it, they appear the most curious. The Cardinal de Retz tells us, that the inhabitants of Paris were subsisted, during many days on the meal of pulverized human bones, extracted from the church yard of the Innocents, during the siege of the league. A more extraordinary story is told either by Bonneval, or Trenck, or Munchausen, of a Frenchman existing nine days on the pomatum which adhered to the inside of his hat!

What sub-type of article is it?

Curiosity Historical Event

What themes does it cover?

Misfortune Social Manners

What keywords are associated?

French Character Endurance Hunger Siege Paris Human Bones Pomatum Survival

What entities or persons were involved?

Cardinal De Retz Bonneval Trenck Munchausen

Where did it happen?

Paris, Church Yard Of The Innocents

Story Details

Key Persons

Cardinal De Retz Bonneval Trenck Munchausen

Location

Paris, Church Yard Of The Innocents

Event Date

During The Siege Of The League

Story Details

The text critiques French indifference to poverty and calamity, citing Cardinal de Retz on Parisians surviving on pulverized human bones from the Innocents churchyard during the League's siege, and an anecdote of a Frenchman living nine days on hat pomatum as told by Bonneval, Trenck, or Munchausen.