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Books Fatal to Their Authors by P. H. (Peter Hampson) Ditchfield
page 78 of 161 (48%)
Joseph Audra, Professor of History at the College of Toulouse, composed a
work for the benefit of his pupils entitled _Abrege d'Histoire generale,
par l'Abbe Audra_ (Toulouse, 1770), which was condemned, and deprived
Audra of his professorship, and also of his life. He died from the chagrin
and disappointment which his misfortunes caused.

The author of _Memoires et Lettres de Madame de Maintenon_ (Amsterdam,
1755, 15 vols., in-12) found his subject a dangerous one, inasmuch as it
conducted him to the Bastille, a very excellent reformatory for audacious
scribes. Laurence Anglivielle de la Beaumelle, born in 1727, had
previously visited that same house of correction on account of his
political views expressed in _Mes Pensees_, published at Copenhagen in
1751. In his _Memoires_ he attributed to the mistress-queen of Louis XIV.
sayings which she never uttered, and his style lacks the dignity and
decency of true historical writings. Voltaire advised that La Beaumelle
should be fettered together with a band of other literary opponents and
sent to the galleys.

Among Spanish historians the name of John Mariana is illustrious. He was
born at Talavera in 1537, and, in spite of certain misfortunes which
befell him on account of his works, lived to the age of eighty-seven
years. He was of the order of the Jesuits, studied at Rome and Paris, and
then retired to the house of the Jesuits at Toledo, where he devoted
himself to his writings. His most important work was his _Historiae de
rebus Hispaniae libri xxx_., published at Toledo 1592-95. But the work
which brought him into trouble was one entitled _De Mutatione Monetae_,
which exposed the frauds of the ministers of the King of Spain with regard
to the adulteration of the public money, and censured the negligence and
laziness of Philip III., declaring that Spain had incurred great loss by
the depreciation in the value of the current coin of the realm. This book
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