The Question of Hu ALSO BY JONATHAN D. SPENCE The Memory PaJace of Matteo Ried The Gate of Heavenly Peace: The Chinese and Their Revolution, 1895-1980 The Death of Woman Wang Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-hsi To Change China: Western Advisors in China, 1620-1960 Ts’ao Yin and the K’ang-hsi Emperor Bondservant and Master The QUESTION o f HU Jonathan D . Spence Vintage Books A Division of Random House, Inc. New York First Vintage Books Edition, September 1989 Copyright © 1988 by Jonathan D. Spence All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copy­ right Conventions. Published in the United States by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc, New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published, in hardcover, by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, New York, in 1988. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spence, Jonathan D. The question of Hu/ Jonathan Spence.— 1st Vintage Books ed. p. cm. Bibliography: p. Includes index. ISBN 0-679-72580-6:18.95 1. Hu, John, 18th cent. 2. Converts, Catholic—China- Biography. 3. Foucquet, Jean. Francçis, 1665-1741. 4. Mental ! I ' it illness—France—History— 18th century. I. Tide. [BX4668.H82S66 1989] 909.7'092—dc20 [B] 89-40102 CIP Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 FOR Colin and Ian Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage —Joachim du Bellay Contents Acknowledgments xi Preface XVÜ i. The Question 3 2. Departure 3 3. The Ocean Voyage 29 4. Landfall 44 5. In the Provinces 0 6. Paris 70 7. Orléans 88 8. The Road to Charenton 93 9. Inside Charenton 103 10. Release 119 11. Return »33 Notes 13S Bibliography 173 Index iSi