Translation, the French language and the United Irishmen

416 Pages·2013·12.5 MB·English

Translation, the French language and the
United Irishmen (1792-1804).
Supervisor Prof Michael CRONIN
School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies
Dublin City University
A thesis submitted to Dublin City University
in Candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Sylvie Klemman Bidfet, MPhil July 2005
I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of
study leading to the award of Doctor of Philosophy, is entirely my own work, and has not
been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and
acknowledged within the text of my work
Signed y
(Candidate) ID no 3 /
Date / y
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1 History, bilingualism and translation 5
1 1 'Making shifts ’ Shifting the emphasis in the historiography 5
of 1798 to define a role for translation
1 2 Overview of theoretical models on bilingualism 15
1 3 Considerations on learning French and English in the 26
eighteenth century
1 4 Eighteenth-century travel literature as a source of insights on 39
travel ability
15 Translation overview of theoretical models 44
1 6 Special considerations on Interpreting 56
1 7 Methodology 69
CHAPTER 2 ‘Traduire pour son temps' Nicholas Madgett, John Sullivan 72
and the Bureau de traduction 1793-1796
2 1 Civil service translation a mere 4instrumental function’*> 72
2 2 Historical context of the Bureau de Traduction 1793-1796 “ces 75
serviteurs modestes ”
2 3 ‘Portraits de traducteurs Nicholas Madgett and John Sullivan 84
2 3 1 Nicholas Madgett (1740?-1813) “that maker of so many missions3’ 86
2 3 2 John Sullivan (ca 1767-ca 1801) “Natif d’Irlande et ennemi jure du 92
gouvernement anglois”
2 4 Linguistic aspects of the work of Bureau translators “much more than 96
just translating
2 5 The political advocacy of Nicholas Madgett and John Sullivan 109
“une mission particulière”
2 6 Translators, “In the service of two masters ” 123
CHAPTER 3 “Veuillez excuser mon detestable françois ” 130
Theobald Wolfe Tone and the French language
3 1 Tone’s weakness in French as a leitmotif in his historiography 130
3 2 Tone's exile to America 135
3 3 4 Vive le pain bis et la hberteI * Tone’s mission to France 144
3 4 Self-interpreting in a communicative ‘pas de trois’ Tone’s overtures to 151
Carnot and Delacroix
3 5 Tone’s First and Second Memorials and their French translations as 161
an intercultural communicative event
3 6 Tone’s collaboration with John Sullivan 180
CHAPTER 4 Interpreting in the French campaigns of 1796 and 1798 199
“amidst [the] clamour and confusion of three languages’7
4 1 “quelques officiers parlant anglais employes avec avantage 199
dans cette expedition ”’
4 2 The ‘instrumentality’ of soldiers speaking the same language 203
‘undoubtedly convenient but not absolutely necessary
4 3 ‘ quelques officiers parlant la langue du pays ’ O’Keane, Sullivan, 223
Teeling and Tone
4 4 C£Monsieur VEvêque” Bishop Stock of Killala, witness, participant 243
and interpreter chosen by history
CHAPTER 5 1 Irish prowess versus French promises} Robert Emmet, 253
Thomas Addis Emmet and the end of the Umted Irish lobby in France,
(1800-1804)
5 1 Robert Emmet’s 1800 Memorial to Napoleon Bonaparte 253
5 2 Robert Emmet’s mission to France, and “cette conversation ” 264
5 3 Thomas Addis Emmet and the last negotiations between the 268
Umted Irishmen and France (1803-1804)
5 4 Insights on the French exile of Miles Byrne 294
CONCLUSION 311
List of Manuscript sources and Bibliography 322
APPENDICES
l
CHAPTER 1
Appendix 1 1 Freeman's Journal 15-17 April 1773 (Vol Xn°100p 399 3)
Mabbot street Mercantile Academy Premiums awarded to pupils,
including Theobald Wolfe Tone A i
Appendix 1 2 Sheehy ’ s Modern French Pronouncing SPELLING BOOK, Dublin
1798 title page and p xxx, ‘Additional names’ including Hutton,
Esq A 11-111
Appendix 1 3 CPA/589/244 Appia, Interprete au bureau des relations
exterieures, to the Citoyen general de l’interieur’, ca 9 May 1796
(20 f 1 ?) A lv
Appendix 1 4 CPA/588 12 Thomas Paine to Otto, June 28, 1793
A v
CHAPTER 2
Appendix 2 1 AAE/Pers 1/65/58r-59v Sullivan to Delacroix, 30 October 1796,
folio 58r A vi
Appendix 2 2 CPA/587/20r-21r Madgett to Lebrun, 13 March 1793, folio 20r
A vii
Appendix 2 3 AAE/Pers l/47/85r-6r Madgett to the Comite de Salut public List
of translations assigned to the Bureau de traduction, 15 April 1794,
in hand of John Sullivan A vm-x
Appendix 2 4 AAE/Pers 1/ 47/89rv, iVote by Madgett, (undated) A xi
Appendix 2 5 CPA 588 480r-81v, L'Adresse au peuple d'Irlande par le
Citoyen Madgett Chef du Bureau de Traduction prêt le
Comité de Salut public, folio 480r A xn
Appendix 2 6 McPeake, in IS, Hayes 1950-1 142 Brevet of Madgett’ s Legion,
27 August 1798 A xni
CHAPTER 3
Appendix 3 1 CPA 589/182r Madgett to Delacroix, 2 March 1796 A xiv
Appendix 3 2 SHA/MR/1422/30, Tone’s Memorial translated by Madgett, pages
1 and 15 A xv-xvi
Appendix 3 3 CPA 589/169r Sullivan’ s translation of Tone’s letter to
Delacroix, first folio A xvu
Appendix 3 4 CPA 589/226r-227r Sullivan’s translation, Principales
dispositions du Bill A xvm-xx
Appendix 3 5 TCD MS 2050/1 l-12v Tone’s Copie des Instructions folio 1 lr
A xxi
Appendix 3 6 CPA 589/221r Madgett to Delacroix (undated) On distingue en
Irlande A xxii
Appendix 3 7 CPA 589/233r-237v Sullivan’s translation of T ont's Memorandum
on the number and position of troops folios 23 3r and 23 5r
A xxin-iv
Appendix 3 8 AN AF IQ/3 69/50, Tone to Delacroix 12 May 1796
A xxv
Appendix 3 9 TCD MS 2050/18 Tone to “Général Buonaparte”, 12 November
1797 A xxvi
CHAPTER 4
Appendix 4 1 SHA/2Y7MacSheehy MacSheehy’s Brevet as Adjutant
Commandant, delivered by Bonaparte, 17 September 1803
A xxvn
Appendix 4 2 Passport issued to Mahony, in Sullivan’s hand (Hayes 1937
facing p 52) A xxvm
Appendix 4 3 B112 Address to the People of Ireland first folio of Tone’s
version, and Peuple dlrlandef , first folio of Grouchy’s version
A xxix-xxx
Appendix 4 4 SHM FF1 /3 3/V1 Cartel d ‘echange des prisonniers de guerre
entre la France et la Grande-Bret&gne 13 September 1798
English and French table of corresponding ranks A xxxi-n
Appendix 4 5 Pnvate collection of P Joannon Humbert’s testimonial for Henry
O’Keane, 19 January 1800, in Sullivan’s hand
A xxxm
Appendix 4 6 PRO/HO/82/123rand 125r, Humbert’s Aux Soldats Irlandois
and first folio of English translation A xxxiv-v
Appendix 4 7 Humbert’s surrender to Lake [print] (Hayes 1937 f 152)
A xxxvi
CHAPTER 5
Appendix 5 1 SHA/MR/1420/34/1-12,42/1-4, f 1 of each Humbert’s
Reflections sur I’utihte d'une descente soit en Angleterre etc, in
Sullivan's hand, 8 and 23 October 1800
A xxxvii-xxxvm
Appendix 5 2a CPA/593/288-9 Emmet and Delaney memorial, 15 September
1800 A xxxix-xln
Appendix 5 2b CPA/593/288-9 Emmet and Delaney memorial,
transcription A xlm-xlv
Appendix 5 3 CPA/594/150r Talleyrands’ Rapport cm premier consul, 6 January
1801 A xlvi
Appendix 5 4 J D Reigh’s print of Robert Emmet’s interview with Napoleon
{Shamrock, December 1895) A xlvn
Appendix 5 5 AN/AF/IV/1672/2/209-216r Thomas Addis Emmet to Napoleon,
7 September 1803, folios 209r and 216r
A xlvm-xlix
Appendix 5 6 AN/AF/IV/1672/2/203-8v Emmet to Berthier lOdecember 1803,
folios 203r and 203v A l-li
Appendix 5 7a SHA/MR/1420/91/l-8r Dalton’s Traduction du memoire deMr
Thomas Addiss [sic] Emmet au Mimstre de la Guerre 25 January
1804 folio 1 A hi-iii
Appendix 5 7b Transcription of full text of Dalton’s translation A liv-lvn
Appendix 5 8 SHA/Xh14, Page Dalton’s Report on United Irishmen m the Irish
Legion, ca October 1803, listing the various skills of MacNeven
and Corbet, including linguistic competence
A Ivin
CONCLUSION
Appendix 6 1 TCD MS 2050/5r, Tone to Du Petit Thouars, 24 May 1798
A hx
Appendix 6 2 CPA/592/411 List of Umted Irishmen in Pans, 13 September
1799 A lx
Acknowledgments
I am most grateful to the Directors of the Dublin City University Language Services
(DCULS) and Dr Marie-Annick Gash, Dr Bill Richardson, Prof Jenny Williams, and the
Research Board of the School for Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS) as I
was one of the first recipients of the DCULS/SALIS postgraduate studentship scheme in
October 2002 This allowed me to undertake this thesis under the supervision of professor
Michael Cronin, a fellow translator-interpreter and longstanding colleague from the Irish
Translator’s and Interpreter’s Association, whose constant encouragement and unwavering
patience saw the project through The interest taken in my research by my former colleagues
and students at SALIS, by Dr Marie-Annick Gash of DCULS, fellow translators at the ITIA,
and the library staff at Dublin City University were most appreciated Dr David Denby,
Marine Holborrow, Dr Dorothy Kenny, Dr Christelle Petite and Dr Vera Sheridan all
helped in various ways My research abroad was considerably facilitated by the generous
assistance of the Ireland Fund of France, administered by Pierre Joannon, as I was awarded a
Lady Chris O’Reilly Scholarship in June 2003 The Bursary allowed me to conduct
extensive research in Pans at the Service Histonque de 1’ Armee and the Service Histonque
de la Marine at Vincennes, as well as the Archives nationales and the Bibhotheque nationale
Special thanks are due to the staff at Vincennes, who guided my trawl through their
collection, an arduous process which yielded a wealth of information on the Insh who had
served under the French flag, and the moving testimonies of the French they had served
under At the Bibhotheque nationale, Marguente Bourcier quickly enthused to the cause of
the United Inshmen and her assistance was a precious asset The France-Ireland grant also
allowed me to seek the views of Pierre Joannon, an authonty in France on Insh history, who
supported the project as a further contnbution to the links which have bound France and
Ireland for centunes, and generously provided me with copies from his private collection of
vital manuscripts linked to General Humbert and his Irish connections
In Ireland connections were established with many researchers and scholars, Dr Maire
Kennedy of the Gilbert Library being one of my first and important allies in supporting
research on language in history I am grateful to James McGuire and James Quinn of the
Dictionary of Irish Biography/Royal Irish Academy for their access to relevant entnes
Special thanks are due to the editors of Volume IH of the Writings (Clarendon Press) and Dr
Christopher J Woods for ensuring I had access to the unpublished correspondence of
Theobald Wolfe Tone This was much appreciated, though distracting as it provided
sufficient material for a second thesis Dr B Meehan, Keeper of Manuscripts at Tnmty
College and Stuart O Seanoir, and Dr Charles Benson, Keeper of Early Printed Books, were
most helpful too The staff of the National Library of Ireland are also to be commended for
their assistance In their own special ways, Jane Conroy, Eamon Maher and Grace Neville
also supported my research The warmth with which the community of Irish histonans
welcomed my research was welcome and constructive, as was demonstrated throughout the
Robert Emmet Bicentenary and after Richard Aylmer, Thomas Bartlett, Guy Beiner, Charles
Benson, Peter Collms, Louis Cullen, David Dickson, Marianne Elliott, Patrick Ferte, Patnck
Geoghegan, Hugh Gough, Tommy Graham, John Gray, Daire Keogh, Brigitte Lejuez, Cliona
0 Gallchoir, Colm 0 Conaill, Ruan O’Donnell, Eunan O’Halpin, Jane Ohlmeyer, James
Quinn, Kevin Whelan and Chris Woods, and others were always ready to provide help, or
reassure me I didn’t need it The inspiring Dr Richard F Hayest1S always and ever amongst
us
Special thanks must be expressed to those who did not recoil from showing sincere kindness
and sympathy following the tragic bereavements in my family This was demonstrated by
providing practical assistance and constant support, at a time when I needed it most
Beyond academia many others have never failed to be there, and so it is to my loved ones I
am the most grateful
Abstract
This thesis examines how language barriers were overcome in contacts between the United
Irishmen and France from 1793 to 1804, drawing on relevant theoretical models on
bilingualism, oral and written translation and sociolinguistics The impressive lobbying of
key Irish envoys, most notably Theobald Wolfe Tone, led to the Bantry expedition (1796)
and Humbert’s short-lived invasion of Mayo (1798), yet linguistic and communicative
dimensions of this international chapter of Insh history have been overlooked Key episodes,
when translation and interpretation facilitated communication between English and French
speakers, are identified The translator’s complex role as linguistic and cultural mediator is
also demonstrated within the historic context of the times Driven by circumstances to
become ad hoc translators, the Insh in France fulfilled a purposeful activity in tense political
and military settings Because they also acted as advocates for their cause, emphasis is placed
on the human agency at-the heart of mtercultural exchanges
Tone’s awareness of bilingualism as a consequence of exile is discussed through rich insights
from his diary, many of which echo current studies on culture shock, adult second-language
acquisition and natural translation His collaboration with the Irish translators Nicholas
Madgett, head of the French government’s Bureau de traduction, and John Sullivan, is also
discussed Madgett and Sullivan translated propaganda throughout the most turbulent
episode of the French Revolution, and their narrative sheds new light on the history of the
profession The thesis concludes with the final overtures made by Robert and Thomas Addis
Emmet to Napoleon
List of Abbreviations and Short Forms
MANUSCRIPT SOURCES
AAE Archives des affaires étrangères (Paris)
AMH Archives municipales du Havre (Le Havre)
AN Archives nationales de France (Pans)
AP Archives parlementaires (Pans)
BNF Bibhotheque nationale de France
CPA Correspondance politique, Angleterre, AAE (Pans)
CP E-U Correspondance politique, Etats-Unis, AAE (Pans)
CP H Correspondance politique, Hambourg, AAE (Pans)
SHA Service historique de 1’Armee de tene (Vincennes)
SHM Service historique de la Marine (Vincennes)
M & D Mémoires et Documents histonques, AAE (Pans)
MR Mémoires et reconnaissances, SHA (Vincennes)
NAI National Archives, Ireland (Dublin)
NLI National Library of Ireland (Dublin)
PRONI Public Record Office, Northern Ireland (Belfast)
TCD Tnmty College, Dublin
A complete list of manuscript sources will be found in the Bibliography
PUBLISHED SOURCES
CN Proces verbaux de la Convention nationale
DIB Dictionary of Irish Biography, R IA (Dublin)
DNB Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford)
FJ Freeman’s Journal
IHS Irish Historical Studies
JP Le Journal de Pans
NS Northern Star
ST State Tnals
Tone I Moody et al (eds ), 1998 The Writings of Theobald Wolfe Tone 1763-
1798 Volume I, Tone’s career in Ireland to June 1795 Oxford Clarendon
Press
Tone II Moody et al (eds ), 2001 The Writings of Theobald Wolfe Tone 1763-
1798 Volume II Amenca, France and Bantry Bay (August 1795 to
December 1796) Oxford Clarendon Press
Tone Life Bartlett, T , (ed), 1998 Life of Theobald Wolfe Tone, Memoirs, Journals
and political writings compiled and arranged by William T W Tone, 1826
Dublin Lilliput