THE COACHMAN S BARE RUMP: DOCUMENT #2

Transcription

1 THE COACHMAN S BARE RUMP: DOCUMENT #2 Archives Nationales, Paris Y13772, Papers of e commissaries de Paris Follow-up investigations by Commissioner Thiot, February 1763 nd I saw, Sir, e investigative report of last January 22 filed wi e clerk, which contains e imprisonment of Nicolas Dandeli, also known as Chambli, accused of having committed several indecencies on e stage where e Sieur de Pajot has plays performed. You will take e trouble to investigate e matter furer at my request, by auority of e Ordinance of e Lieutenant General of Police. You will take a deposition from e said Sieur de Pajot de Villers, e said negro Capolin, e Lady Coppin, e young ladies her daughters, e Lady Bar, Mr.Lepur, Mr. Hutel, e said LeJean, also known as St- Jean, e witnesses ey mention to you, and anyone else you can discover who has knowledge of is affair, for which I request from you all e propriety and care you normally bestow on ese affairs. Moreau [official in e central Paris police bureau] This 28 of January 1763 To e Commissioner Thiot ******************************************************************* Deposition at e request of e King s Barrister on e subject of an indecency committed by e said Chambly February Deposition recorded by me, Antoine Joachim Thiot, Counselor to e King, Commissioner at e Chatelet, etc., at e request of e King s Barrister on e subject of e indecency committed by e said Chambly coachman of e Sieur de Villers, at his nd house, as he was accused according to e investigative report I prepared on January , and filed wi e Clerk at e Chatelet law court. The said deposition performed according to e Ordinance of e Lieutenant Criminal of said place, and following upon e investigative report and during which I deposed in private each of e witnesses produced before me and recorded what follows. On Thursday, February 10, 1763, at eight in e evening: The said Capolin, not baptized, a negro in e service of e said Pajot de Villers, aged irteen years, living in e house of e said Sieur devillers, Taranne Street, St-Sulpice parish; made aware yesterday of my ordinance by Bromaire, e document-server, showed us e copy served to him. After swearing to tell e tru, and after hearing a reading of my investigative report, and after declaring at he was neier a parent, ally,

2 servant or domestic of e parties involved, stated at about two weeks ago, being on e stage of his master s house after e plays were performed on at stage, he saw e said Chambly, coachman of his master, approach him. Chambly asked e deponent if he had seen e play, to which Capolin replied: Yes. At which point e said Chambly raised his coattails and said, Hey, here s a comic opera! ; and extended his rear end, which was covered by his pants at he had not undone. The deponent heard Chambly make a clapping sound at at moment, but he doesn t know wi what. He assures me, however, at Chambly did not slap his hands against his rear, and he is sure at Chambly did not uncover himself, and at is act could not have been perceived by anybody [in e room]. The deponent said at at is all he knows. I read e deposition to him. He said it was true and he stood by it. He was given 20 sous and stated at he did not know how to read nor write. Five words in is deposition have been crossed out. Signed: Thiot Jean-Baptiste Lefan, also known as St-Jean, aged 26 years, a servant of e Sieur de Villers wi whom he lives, received notice of our ordinance. States at e day his master gave a play on e stage, about ree weeks ago, he was busy putting out e candles after e play when e coachman of his master, e said Chambly, showed up on e stage at e same time. The young negro asked e coachman if he had seen e comedy, to which e coachman replied yes, and en told e negro he would make him see anoer. The deponent doesn t know what he [Chambly] did, nor what he intended to do, because he wasn t looking. At at moment e curtain went up, but he doesn t know who raised it. He heard it said by his master, who was watching em, at e coachman showed his bare rump, but e deponent doesn t believe it and imagines at it was just a joke. The coachman would not have had time to undo his pants between e moment when he spoke to e young negro and at when e curtain went back up. That was all he said he knew. Signed: Thiot; J.B. Lefan *********************************************************** On Saturday, February 12, 1763 at eleven in e morning. Master Christophe Louis Pajot de Villers, Chevalier, aged 36 years, living in Paris at his residence on Taranne Street, St-Germain des Près neighborhood, St-Sulpice parish, received word of our ordinance. He stated at last Friday, January 21 st, 1763 he gave a little show on e stage in his house. The spectacle being completely finished and e curtain lowered, ree domestics

3 were on e stage busy putting out e candles, out of sight of everyone who remained in e room. The deponent learned at his coachman, who was drunk, joined anoer of his servants and a young negro in his service. The coachman joked at he was quite pleased to have seen e play, but e young negro made fun of him, saying at he hadn t seen it. The coachmen en took his revenge by undoing his trousers and showing e young negro his rear. The negro, angered by is, remarked at ere wasn t any light anymore backstage, but ere was a lot in e room on e oer side of e curtain. He en raised e curtain in order to take advantage of e spectacle e coachman offered him. Unfortunately for e coachman, who ought he would simply entertain himself and his colleagues by pulling a carnavalesque prank, he was caught in is indecency by four or five persons still in e room. Someone notified e deponent of is bad joke, which made him angry wi his coachman. The deponent climbed onto e stage where he found e ree domestics, who would not tell him anying about e affair. But, because e deponent wanted to know e tru, he called me. The coachman admitted to is monkey business, which is why e deponent demanded his imprisonment as being absolutely necessary to allow e coachman, who was really quite innocent on his own, to make amends. Unfortunately, is event became an insult to e reputation of e deponent after e fact. The deponent only wanted to teach e coachman e lesson of a short imprisonment; had he known it would be anying more he would not have pursued e matter, in order to avoid any oer consequences for e coachman. Wi is testimony he wishes to retract entirely e complaint he registered against e coachman by means of e investigative report; in fact, he now insists on e nullification of at report. He says at is all he knows. Signed: Thiot; Pajot de Villers ********************************************************** On Tuesday, February 15, 1763, at seven in e evening. Lady Madeleine Roussin, fifty years old, wife of Mr. Louis Francois Coppin, Ropyal Receiver of e Farms, living in Paris on Chanvrerie Street, St-Eustache parish, became aware of our ordinance. She deposed at last January 21 st she attended a performance at e house of e said Sieur Pajot de Villers. Once e performance was over and e majority of people in attendance had left, e said deponent noticed at someone raised one side of e curtain onstage. Then she ought she noticed e naked behind of a man, but she wasn t entirely sure. She doesn t know who else saw it. Then e siad Sieur Pajot de Villers, furious about it all, accused his coachman, but e latter said he didn t do it. She says at is all she knows. Signed: Roussin; Thiot

4 Miss Reine-Elisabe Coppin, twnety years old, daughter of e said Mr. and Mrs. Coppin named above, and living wi em, was notified. She deposed at around last January 20 she went wi her moer, e preceding witness, to see e play performed at e home of e Sieur Pajot de Villers on Taranne Street. Once e performance was over, very few people were left in e room. She heard a noise at she supposed to be at of hands clapping, en she heard complaints about an indecency committed by someone who was said to have shown his behind on e stage. She heard e coachman of e said Sieur de Villers, to whom e impertinance was attributed, say at he had only lifted his jacket to show his rear, covered by his pants, to e little house negro who was also on e stage. The coachman also clapped his hands at e same time. Then e little negro raised e curtain of e stage, which had been lowered, when e coachman appeared simply to [illegible], wiout which no one would have complained about anying. She said at was all she knew. Signed: Thiot; R.E. Coppin Miss Victoire Coppin, sixteen years old, daughter of Mr. Mrs. Coppin named above, living wi em, was notified. She deposed at one Friday last January she found herself wi her moer at e play staged by e Sieur Pajot de Villers at his home on Taranne Street. When e play was over, she heard a clapping noise, but she doesn t know who did it, nor why. At at time, when ere were very few people left in e eater room, she heard noing about is incident. On e way out of e room, however, she heard complaints about an indecency committed, so it was said, by e coachman of e Sieur de Villers, who showed his behind on e stage when e clapping noises were heard. The young lady deponent had heard is, but she did not see it. She heard e coachman trying to explain what happened by saying at he had shown himself to e little negro of e said Sieur de Villers who was on e stage, at he just wanted to play a prank, and so he had lifted his coattails and shown his behind covered while slapping it wi his hands. Then e little negro had maliciously raised e curtain of e said stage, which had been lowered. If he hadn t done so, e coachman would never have played his prank and no one would have seen his bum. She also heard at e little negro admitted to having raised e curtain at precisely e moment when e coachman showed him has rear, but at e little negro also claimed at e coachman s rear was covered. That is all she says she knows. Signed: V. Coppin; Thiot *****************************************************

5 On Thursday, February 17, 1763, at ree in e afternoon. Mr. Simon de Liépure, 33 years old, a resident of Paris, living on St. Anastasia Street, St- Gervais parish, was made aware. He deposed at he did not see anying having to do wi e events contained in our investigative report, even ough he was present after e performance of e said play at e home of e Sieur Pajot de Villers, and at he even found himself present in e room at e moment of e prank at ey say took place on e stage. He definitely heard e rumor of e lewdness at was attributed to a domestic, about which he hears different ings. He said at was all he knows. Signed: Liépure; Thiot