Jean de Fodoas

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by Maurice Magre


  Having lost their initial ideal, the Templars had mistaken the means for the end. Those exterminator monks became thereafter bankers, acquirers of châteaux, moneylenders, seigneurs of vassals and lands. How could they retain the divine delight of the years of their youth, when they were running among the shores of Lake Tiberiad for the defense of pilgrims? They were so poor then that they only had one horse between two of them. That was in the times when they kept Jerusalem for the Christians. When each of them had several caparisoned horses and squires to lead them, they were expelled from Saint-Jean-d’Acre.

  The secret of their strength was in their courage and their faith. But they took wealth for an ideal, in the same way that the Albigensians had taken poverty. They wanted a Christ superior to the one that the vulgar worshiped, but they had not heeded the parable of the camel and the needle’s eye. They believed that a great work could be accomplished by making use, with impunity, of the weapons of evil. So the message was lost, their work was consigned to oblivion, as with all those who do not have as a first principle a perfect disinterest.

  FRENCH SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY COLLECTION

  105 Adolphe Ahaiza. Cybele

  102 Alphonse Allais. The Adventures of Captain Cap

  02 Henri Allorge. The Great Cataclysm

  14 G.-J. Arnaud. The Ice Company

  152 André Arnyvelde. The Ark

  153 André Arnyvelde. The Mutilated Bacchus

  61 Charles Asselineau. The Double Life

  118 Henri Austruy. The Eupantophone

  119 Henri Austry. The Petitpaon Era

  120 Henri Austry. The Olotelepan

  130 Barillet-Lagargousse. The Final War

  180 Honoré de Balzac. The Last Fay

  193 Mme Barbot de Villeneuve. Beauty and the Beast

  194 Mme Barbot de Villeneuve. The Naiads

  103 S. Henry Berthoud. Martyrs of Science

  189 S. Henry Berthoud. The Angel Asrael*

  23 Richard Bessière. The Gardens of the Apocalypse

  121 Richard Bessière. The Masters of Silence

  148 Béthune (Chevalier de). The World of Mercury

  26 Albert Bleunard. Ever Smaller

  06 Félix Bodin. The Novel of the Future

  173 Pierre Boitard. Journey to the Sun

  92 Louis Boussenard. Monsieur Synthesis

  39 Alphonse Brown. City of Glass

  89 Alphonse Brown. The Conquest of the Air

  98 Emile Calvet. In A Thousand Years

  191 Jean Carrère. The End of Atlantis

  40 Félicien Champsaur. The Human Arrow

  81 Félicien Champsaur. Ouha, King of the Apes

  91. Félicien Champsaur. The Pharaoh’s Wife

  133 Félicien Champsaur. Homo-Deus

  143 Félicien Champsaur. Nora, The Ape-Woman

  03 Didier de Chousy. Ignis

  166 Jacques Collin de Plancy. Voyage to the Center of the Earth

  97 Michel Corday. The Eternal Flame

  182. Michel Corday & André Couvreur. The Lynx

  113 André Couvreur. The Necessary Evil

  114 André Couvreur. Caresco, Superman

  115 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 1)

  116 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 2)

  117 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 3)

  67 Captain Danrit. Undersea Odyssey

  184 Gaston Danville. The Perfume of Lust

  149 Camille Debans. The Misfortunes of John Bull

  17 C. I. Defontenay. Star (Psi Cassiopeia)

  05 Charles Derennes. The People of the Pole

  68 Georges T. Dodds. The Missing Link and Other Tales of Ape-Men

  125 Charles Dodeman. The Silent Bomb

  49 Alfred Driou. The Adventures of a Parisian Aeronaut

  144 Odette Dulac. The War of the Sexes

  188. Alexandre Dumas & Paul Lacroix. The Man who married a Mermaid

  145 Renée Dunan. The Ultimate Pleasure

  10 Henri Duvernois. The Man Who Found Himself

  08 Achille Eyraud. Voyage to Venus

  01 Henri Falk. The Age of Lead

  51 Charles de Fieux. Lamékis

  154 Fernand Fleuret. Jim Click

  108 Louis Forest. Someone Is Stealing Children In Paris

  31 Arnould Galopin. Doctor Omega

  70 Arnould Galopin. Doctor Omega & The Shadowmen

  112 H. Gayar. The Marvelous Adventures of Serge Myrandhal on Mars

  88 Judith Gautier. Isoline and the Serpent-Flower

  185 Louis Geoffroy. The Apocryphal Napoleon

  163 Raoul Gineste. The Second Life of Dr. Albin

  136 Delphine de Girardin. Balzac’s Cane

  146 Jules Gros. The Fossil Man

  174 Jimmy Guieu. The Polarian-Denebian War 1

  175 Jimmy Guieu. The Polarian-Denebian War 2

  176 Jimmy Guieu. The Polarian-Denebian War 3

  177 Jimmy Guieu. The Polarian-Denebian War 4

  178 Jimmy Guieu. The Polarian-Denebian War 5

  179 Jimmy Guieu. The Polarian-Denebian War 6

  57 Edmond Haraucourt. Illusions of Immortality

  134 Edmond Haraucourt. Daah, the First Human

  24 Nathalie Henneberg. The Green Gods

  131 Eugene Hennebert. The Enchanted City

  137 P.-J. Hérault. The Clone Rebellion

  150 Jules Hoche. The Maker of Men and his Formula

  140 P. d’Ivoi & H. Chabrillat. Around the World on Five Sous

  107 Jules Janin. The Magnetized Corpse

  29 Michel Jeury. Chronolysis [NO LONGER AVAILABLE]

  55 Gustave Kahn. The Tale of Gold and Silence

  30 Gérard Klein. The Mote in Time’s Eye

  90 Fernand Kolney. Love in 5000 Years

  87 Louis-Guillaume de La Follie. The Unpretentious Philosopher

  101 Jean de La Hire. The Fiery Wheel

  50 André Laurie. Spiridon

  52 Gabriel de Lautrec. The Vengeance of the Oval Portrait

  82 Alain Le Drimeur. The Future City

  27-28 Georges Le Faure & Henri de Graffigny. The Extraordinary Adventures of a Russian Scientist Across the Solar System (2 vols.)

  07 Jules Lermina. Mysteryville

  25 Jules Lermina. Panic in Paris

  32 Jules Lermina. The Secret of Zippelius

  66 Jules Lermina. To-Ho and the Gold Destroyers

  127 Jules Lermina. The Battle of Strasbourg

  15 Gustave Le Rouge. The Vampires of Mars

  73 Gustave Le Rouge. The Plutocratic Plot

  74 Gustave Le Rouge. The Transatlantic Threat

  75 Gustave Le Rouge. The Psychic Spies

  76 Gustave Le Rouge. The Victims Victorious

  109-110-111 Gustave Le Rouge. The Mysterious Doctor Cornelius

  96 André Lichtenberger. The Centaurs

  99 André Lichtenberger. The Children of the Crab

  135 Listonai. The Philosophical Voyager

  157 Ch. Lomon & P.-B. Gheusi. The Last Days of Atlantis

  197 Maurice Magre. The Marvelous Story of Claire d’Amour

  197 Maurice Magre. The Call of the Beast

  198 Maurice Magre. Priscilla of Alexandria

  199 Maurice Magre. The Angel of Lust

  200 Maurice Magre. The Mystery of the Tiger

  201 Maurice Magre. The Poison of Goa

  202 Maurice Magre. Lucifer

  203 Maurice Magre. The Blood of Toulouse

  204 Maurice Magre. The Albigensian Treasure

  205 Maurice Magre. Jean de Fodoas

  206 Maurice Magre. Melusine

  207 Maurice Magre. The Brothers of the Virgin Gold

  208 Charles Malato. Lost !

  167 Camille Mauclair. The Virgin Orient

  72 Xavier Mauméjean. The League of Heroes

  78 Joseph Méry. The Tower of Destiny

  77 Hippolyte Mettais. The Year 5865

  128 Hyppolite Mettais. Paris Before the Deluge

 
; 83 Louise Michel. The Human Microbes

  84 Louise Michel. The New World

  93 Tony Moilin. Paris in the Year 2000

  11 José Moselli. Illa’s End

  38 John-Antoine Nau. Enemy Force

  156 Charles Nodier. Trilby * The Crumb Fairy

  04 Henri de Parville. An Inhabitant of the Planet Mars

  21 Gaston de Pawlowski. Journey to the Land of the Fourth Dimension

  56 Georges Pellerin. The World in 2000 Years

  79 Pierre Pelot. The Child Who Walked On The Sky

  85 Ernest Perochon. The Frenetic People

  161 Jean Petithuguenin. An International Mission to the Moon

  141. Georges Price. The Missing Men of the Sirius

  165 René Pujol. The Chimerical Quest

  100 Edgar Quinet. Ahasuerus

  123 Edgar Quinet. The Enchanter Merlin

  192 Jean Rameau. Arrival in the Stars

  60 Henri de Régnier. A Surfeit of Mirrors

  33 Maurice Renard. The Blue Peril

  34 Maurice Renard. Doctor Lerne

  35 Maurice Renard. The Doctored Man

  36 Maurice Renard. A Man Among the Microbes

  37 Maurice Renard. The Master of Light

  169 Restif de la Bretonne. The Discovery of the Austral Continent by a Flying Man

  170 Restif de la Bretonne. Posthumous Correspondence 1

  171 Restif de la Bretonne. Posthumous Correspondence 2

  172 Restif de la Bretonne. Posthumous Correspondence 3

  186 Restif de la Bretonne.The Story of the Great Prince Oribeau

  187 Restif de la Bretonne.The Four Beauties and the Four Beasts

  41 Jean Richepin. The Wing

  12 Albert Robida. The Clock of the Centuries

  62 Albert Robida. Chalet in the Sky

  69 Albert Robida. The Adventures of Saturnin Farandoul

  95 Albert Robida. The Electric Life

  151 Albert Robida. Engineer Von Satanas

  46 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Givreuse Enigma

  45 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Mysterious Force

  43 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Navigators of Space

  48 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. Vamireh

  44 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The World of the Variants

  47 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Young Vampire

  71 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. Helgvor of the Blue River

  24 Marcel Rouff. Journey to the Inverted World

  158 Marie-Anne de Roumier-Robert. The Voyages of Lord Seaton to the Seven Planets

  132 Léonie Rouzade. The World Turned Upside Down

  09 Han Ryner. The Superhumans

  124 Han Ryner. The Human Ant

  181 Han Ryner. The Son of Silence

  195 Henri de Saint-Georges. The Green Eyes

  183 Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin. The Crocodile

  190 Nicolas Ségur. The Human Paradise

  122 Pierre de Selenes. An Unknown World

  19 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 1. News from the Moon

  20 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 2. The Germans on Venus

  63 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 3. The Supreme Progress

  64 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 4. The World Above the World

  65 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 5. Nemoville

  80 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 6. Investigations of the Future

  106 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 7. The Conqueror of Death

  129 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 8. The Revolt of the Machines

  142 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 9. The Man with the Blue Face

  155 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 10. The Aerial Valley

  159 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 11. The New Moon

  160 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 12. The Nickel Man

  162 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 13. On the Brink of the World’s End

  164 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 14. The Mirror of Present Events

  168 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 15. The Humanisphere

  42 Jacques Spitz. The Eye of Purgatory

  13 Kurt Steiner. Ortog

  18 Eugène Thébault. Radio-Terror

  58 C.-F. Tiphaigne de La Roche. Amilec

  138 Simon Tyssot de Patot. Voyages and Adventures of Jacques de Massé

  104 Louis Ulbach. Prince Bonifacio

  53 Théo Varlet. The Xenobiotic Invasion (w/Octave Joncquel)

  16 Théo Varlet. The Martian Epic; (w/André Blandin)

  59 Théo Varlet. Timeslip Troopers

  86 Théo Varlet. The Golden Rock

  94 Théo Varlet. The Castaways of Eros

  139 Pierre Véron. The Merchants of Health

  54 Paul Vibert. The Mysterious Fluid

  147 Gaston de Wailly. The Murderer of the World

  181 Willy. Astral Amour

  Notes

  1 Most of the names in this chapter are fictitious, but Marie Cose is mentioned in the published Annals of Toulouse as a notorious serial adulteress of great beauty who was condemned to be whipped after seducing the son of a town councilor. She is featured in Le Trésor des Albigeois as a somewhat raddled prostitute, although the relevant section of that novel does not seem to be set any later than the present chapter. Several other characters mentioned in passing, including Isaac Andréa and Captain Mauric, had also played minor parts in Le Trésor des Albigeois.

  2 As with Marie Cose, this name is taken from contemporary documents referring to a real magistrate active in Toulouse in the last decades of the sixteenth century and the first two decades of the seventeenth, although his title is listed in some of those documents as “Seigneur de Montlaur et de Lagarde” rather than the one with which the present text credits him.

  3 The historical Pierre Du Jarric (1566-1617) was indeed a Jesuit from Toulouse, but his ambition to become a missionary was thwarted and he devoted himself instead to compiling an Histoire des choses plus mémorables advenues tant en Indes orientales [History of the Most Memorable Things to Have Happened Recently in the East Indies] (3 volumes, 1610-1614; partly tr. as Akbar and the Jesuits: An Account of the Jesuit Missions to the Court of Akbar) based on reports sent back by actual missionaries. Magre used the book as a source of materials for his narrative, but his account of events and people mentioned therein is infinitely more extravagant.

  4 Clement VIII was Pope from 1592-1605.

  5 The Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) published his pioneering Atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum [The Theater of the World], containing 53 maps, most of them copies, in 1570. It remained a standard reference work until the second decade of the seventeenth century, when it was surpassed by more elaborate and more accurate atlases, including the one produced by Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594) and published posthumously in 1595, many of them stimulated by Ortelius’ example and the desire to improve on his endeavor.

  6 The Jesuit Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was one of the key figures in the early Jesuit missions to China, and was the first European to enter the Forbidden City, invited because of his great scholarship as an astronomer and geographer.

  7 Nicolas Pimenta (1546-1613) was a Jesuit missionary whose letters from Pegu [nowadays Bagu in Burma] in connection with a mission undertaken in 1599 were published, and formed one of the sources of Pierre Du Jarric’s account of India. He did not take part in any of the missions to Agra, as the present text alleges, although Du Jarric mingles details from his accounts with the accounts of those missions.

  8 Aires de Saldanha (1542-1605), who was appointed Viceroy of India in 1600, was a Portuguese soldier and the son of a famous navigator who had served for a long time in Portuguese India, struggling to defend it against the encroachments of the Dutch.

  9 Benoît de Goës (1562-1617) undertook an epic journey, departing from Goa in September 1602, which eventually took him to the gates of China in December 1605, travelling disguised as an Armenian merchant. It made him famous, because his journal of the voyage was brought posthumously to Mattéo Ricci in Peking, who publicized it. The account of that journey in the present story is anachronistic, incompatible with various other datable events featured therein.


  10 Bartholomew, one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles (although he is not mentioned in the Gospel of St. John, where he is replaced by Nathanael), was reported in a history written by Eusebius of Caesarea in the early fourth century and the slightly later writings of Saint Jerome to have undertaken a missionary voyage to India after the Ascension. The Jesuit missionaries to India did indeed search for evidence to confirm those legends, although the cross featured in the present story is an invention.

  11 The Timurid ruler Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) was indeed a great astronomer, and built a great observatory in Samarkand in the 1420s. The territory he ruled, centered on what is now Uzbekistan, extended into northern Afghanistan, but not India, so any treasure he might have buried is highly unlikely to have been there.

  12 Rodolpho Aquaviva (1550-1583) led the first Jesuit mission to Agra in 1580-83, and was the general of the Order thereafter.

  13 Akbar the Great (1542-1605), the Mogul Emperor from 1556 until his death, who expanded that Empire vastly by conquest, invited the Jesuits to send missionaries to Agra, partly because of his curiosity about the Occident—he was a great scholar—but in particular because of his desire to found and promulgate a new monotheistic system of belief, which eventually became known as Din-i-Ilahi [a Persian term for religion, although Akbar’s system was not a religion in the strict sense of the term, being devoid of scriptures and priests] fusing the traditions of Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity—an ambition that attracted the wrathful opposition of orthodox Muslims

  14 The Jesuit Antonio de Monserrate accompanied Rodolfo Acquaviva on the first Jesuit mission to Agra, and wrote a commentary on that mission that was one of the sources of Pierre Du Jarric’s history, but he did not return there in the early 1600s as the present narrative asserts.

  15 The Father Pignero given that name in Du Jarric’s history was Emmanuel Pinheiro or Pigneiro (1556-1618), who accompanied Jerome Xavier on the third mission to Agra in 1595, and spent a long time there, remaining after Akbar’s death, but the character in the present novel only appears to have borrowed the surname.

  16 It is not surprising that the narrator has never seen an astronomical telescope, as history records that none existed in Europe at the time the story is set—Galileo only built his very modest pioneering model in 1609—and it is extremely unlikely that any such thing existed in India, where astronomers would almost certainly have made all their observations with the naked eye.

 

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