TY - JOUR AU - Yurss Lasanta, Paula PY - 2023/02/01 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - The Last King of France’s Letters: The Controversy between Helen Maria Williams and Bertrand de Moleville about the Translation of Louis XVI’s Correspondence JF - ENTHYMEMA JA - ENTHYMEMA VL - IS - 31 SE - Volti del tradurre – A cura di Helena Aguilà Ruzola e Donatella Siviero DO - 10.54103/2037-2426/18429 UR - https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/enthymema/article/view/18429 SP - 91-100 AB - <p><span class="TextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0">This article examines </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0">The Political and Confidential Correspondence of Lewis the Sixteenth </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0">(1803), by Helen Maria Williams, in which she translates the letters by Louis XVI while she adds her own political commentaries. This translation received negative reviews and one of its harshest critics was royalist </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW105626926 BCX0">emigré</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0"> Bertrand de </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW105626926 BCX0">Moleville</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0">. The first part of this article explores the controversy that surrounded Williams’s translation and reveals that the letters were forged. The following part </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW105626926 BCX0">analyzes</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0"> Williams’s political arguments that legitimize the deposition of Louis XVI as the king of France. The last part explores Bertrand’s </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0">A Refutation of the Libel on the Memory of the Late King of France</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0">, published in 1804. The article concludes that, regardless of the authenticity of the letters, Williams’ work deserves reconsideration as it sheds light on her participation in the political debates of her time. Besides, the article shows that the misogynistic arguments employed by Bertrand contributed to the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW105626926 BCX0">invisibilization</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW105626926 BCX0"> of Williams’s work.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW105626926 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;335559739&quot;:60}"> </span></p> ER -