8. the Chevalier de Seingalt
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Reading (3 minutes)
Toward the end of his life, the Chevalier de Seingalt (1725-1798) wrote a long memoir recounting his life and adventures. The Chevalier was a somewhat controversial figure, but since he met many famous people, including kings and writers, his memoir has become a valuable historical source about European society in the eighteenth century. However, some critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of the memoir. They claim that the Chevalier distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous than it really was.
For example, in his memoir the Chevalier claims that while living in Switzerland, he was very wealthy, and it is known that he spent a great deal of money there on parties and gambling. However, evidence has recently surfaced that the Chevalier borrowed considerable sums of money from a Swiss merchant. Critics thus argue that if the Chevalier had really been very rich, he would not have needed to borrow money.
Critics are also skeptical about the accuracy of the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between himself and the famous writer Voltaire. No one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed. However, critics complain that the memoir cannot possibly capture these conversations accurately, because it was written many years after the conversations occurred. Critics point out that it is impossible to remember exact phrases from extended conversations held many years earlier.
Critics have also questioned the memoir’s account of the Chevalier’s escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy. He claims to have escaped the Venetian prison by using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling and climbing through the roof. Critics claim that while such a daring escape makes for enjoyable reading, it is more likely that the Chevaliers jailers were bribed to free him. They point out that the Chevalier had a number of politically well-connected friends in Venice who could have offered a bribe.
Listening
Texts
No memoir can possibly be correct in every detail, but still, the Chevalier’s memoir is pretty accurate overall, and is, by and large, a reliable historical source. Let’s look at the accuracy of the three episodes mentioned in the reading.
First, the loan from the merchant. Well, that doesn’t mean that the Chevalier was poor. Let me explain. We know that in Switzerland, the Chevalier spent huge amounts of money on parties and gambling, and he had wealth. But it was a kind of property you have to sell first to get money. So it usually took a few days to convert his assets into actual money. So when he ran out of cash, he had to borrow some while he was waiting for his money to arrive, but that’s not being poor.
Second, the conversations with Voltaire. The Chevalier states in his memoir that each night immediately after conversing with Voltaire, he wrote down everything he could remember about that particular night’s conversation. Evidently the Chevalier kept his notes of these conversations for many years and referred to them when writing the memoir. Witnesses who lived with the Chevalier in his later life confirmed that he regularly consulted notes and journals when composing the memoir.
Third, the Chevalier’s escape from a prison in Venice. Other prisoners in that prison had even more powerful friends than he did, and none of them were ever able to bribe their way to freedom. So bribery hardly seems likely in his case. The best evidence, though, comes from some old Venetian government documents. They indicate that soon after the Chevalier escaped from the prison, the ceiling of his old prison room had to be repaired. Why would they need to repair a ceiling unless he had escaped exactly as he said he did?
Explanation
Reading part summary
The claim in the reading passage
The many stories in Chevalier’s memoir were distorted or invented.
The first reason
First, based on recent evidence that he borrowed a lot of money from a Swiss merchant, Chevalier was not as wealthy as he claimed in his memoir.
The second reason
Secondly, although his claims that he had conversations with the famous writer Voltaire were true, the phrases from the conversation could not be accurate because it was written a few years after the conversations.
The third reason
And lastly, the story that Chevalier escaped from the prison through the roof does not seem true. Rather, he was more likely to have bribed jailers for his escape with help from his politically well-connected friends.
Listening part summary
The argument against the reading passage
Chevalier’s memoir is pretty accurate and contains dependable historical information.
The first reason
First, Chevalier was by no means poor. It was true that he borrowed money from a merchant, but this was just because he was awaiting money from the sale of his assets.
The second reason
Second, in terms of the accuracy of the conversations with Voltaire, Chevalier mentioned that he wrote down what he conversed with Voltaire each night after he met Voltaire. Therefore, it is safe to say that the conversations are accurate.
The third season
Lastly, none of the prisoners in the prison were able to bribe, meaning that Chevalier did not bribe jailers. According to some old Venetian government documents, the ceiling of Chevalier’s prison room had to be fixed, indicating that he escaped from the prison through the roof.
Toward the end of his life, the Chevalier de Seingalt (1725-1798) wrote a long memoir recounting his life and adventures. The Chevalier was a somewhat controversial figure, but since he met many famous people, including kings and writers, his memoir has become a valuable historical source about European society in the eighteenth century. However, some critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of the memoir. They claim that the Chevalier distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous than it really was.
For example, in his memoir the Chevalier claims that while living in Switzerland, he was very wealthy, and it is known that he spent a great deal of money there on parties and gambling. However, evidence has recently surfaced that the Chevalier borrowed considerable sums of money from a Swiss merchant. Critics thus argue that if the Chevalier had really been very rich, he would not have needed to borrow money.
Critics are also skeptical about the accuracy of the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between himself and the famous writer Voltaire. No one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed. However, critics complain that the memoir cannot possibly capture these conversations accurately, because it was written many years after the conversations occurred. Critics point out that it is impossible to remember exact phrases from extended conversations held many years earlier.
Critics have also questioned the memoir’s account of the Chevalier’s escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy. He claims to have escaped the Venetian prison by using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling and climbing through the roof. Critics claim that while such a daring escape makes for enjoyable reading, it is more likely that the Chevaliers jailers were bribed to free him. They point out that the Chevalier had a number of politically well-connected friends in Venice who could have offered a bribe.
Listening
Texts
No memoir can possibly be correct in every detail, but still, the Chevalier’s memoir is pretty accurate overall, and is, by and large, a reliable historical source. Let’s look at the accuracy of the three episodes mentioned in the reading.
First, the loan from the merchant. Well, that doesn’t mean that the Chevalier was poor. Let me explain. We know that in Switzerland, the Chevalier spent huge amounts of money on parties and gambling, and he had wealth. But it was a kind of property you have to sell first to get money. So it usually took a few days to convert his assets into actual money. So when he ran out of cash, he had to borrow some while he was waiting for his money to arrive, but that’s not being poor.
Second, the conversations with Voltaire. The Chevalier states in his memoir that each night immediately after conversing with Voltaire, he wrote down everything he could remember about that particular night’s conversation. Evidently the Chevalier kept his notes of these conversations for many years and referred to them when writing the memoir. Witnesses who lived with the Chevalier in his later life confirmed that he regularly consulted notes and journals when composing the memoir.
Third, the Chevalier’s escape from a prison in Venice. Other prisoners in that prison had even more powerful friends than he did, and none of them were ever able to bribe their way to freedom. So bribery hardly seems likely in his case. The best evidence, though, comes from some old Venetian government documents. They indicate that soon after the Chevalier escaped from the prison, the ceiling of his old prison room had to be repaired. Why would they need to repair a ceiling unless he had escaped exactly as he said he did?
Explanation
Reading part summary
The claim in the reading passage
The many stories in Chevalier’s memoir were distorted or invented.
The first reason
First, based on recent evidence that he borrowed a lot of money from a Swiss merchant, Chevalier was not as wealthy as he claimed in his memoir.
The second reason
Secondly, although his claims that he had conversations with the famous writer Voltaire were true, the phrases from the conversation could not be accurate because it was written a few years after the conversations.
The third reason
And lastly, the story that Chevalier escaped from the prison through the roof does not seem true. Rather, he was more likely to have bribed jailers for his escape with help from his politically well-connected friends.
Listening part summary
The argument against the reading passage
Chevalier’s memoir is pretty accurate and contains dependable historical information.
The first reason
First, Chevalier was by no means poor. It was true that he borrowed money from a merchant, but this was just because he was awaiting money from the sale of his assets.
The second reason
Second, in terms of the accuracy of the conversations with Voltaire, Chevalier mentioned that he wrote down what he conversed with Voltaire each night after he met Voltaire. Therefore, it is safe to say that the conversations are accurate.
The third season
Lastly, none of the prisoners in the prison were able to bribe, meaning that Chevalier did not bribe jailers. According to some old Venetian government documents, the ceiling of Chevalier’s prison room had to be fixed, indicating that he escaped from the prison through the roof.