The poem presents clear parallels to the John Law Bubble, a historical financial episode marked by speculative frenzy and collapse. The clever and adventurous swallow symbolizes John Law, whose introduction of the Mississippi Company disrupted traditional financial systems in France. Just as the swallow entered the anthill, Law introduced innovative yet destabilizing practices, including paper currency and speculative trading.
The ants in the poem represent the common investors, enticed by the promise of immense wealth. The lines describing the ants parting with their possessions reflect the speculative mania of the time, where investors believed their fortunes would multiply exponentially, much like the promises made during the Mississippi Bubble. The clever stranger’s actions mirror Law’s strategies, where initial profits dazzled investors, drawing them further into the speculative scheme.
The poem critiques these promises, describing the eventual realization of their impossibility. The enticing gains, once revealed as a stratagem, highlight the collapse of the speculative bubble. This aligns with the historical collapse of the Mississippi Company, when its inability to sustain its promises led to widespread financial ruin. The final lines of the poem warn against the pursuit of unrealistic profits, emphasizing the tragic consequences of such endeavors.
The explicit mention of “Le Mississipy” directly ties the poem to the Mississippi Bubble, underscoring its allegorical nature. Through its depiction of greed, deception, and disillusionment, the poem serves as a critique of speculative financial ventures and offers a timeless lesson on the dangers of unsustainable promises. This allegory remains relevant, reflecting the cyclical nature of speculative bubbles in economic history.
L’hirondelle et les Fourmis
Le Mississipy
Une hirondelle habile aventurière,
Un jour entra dans une fourmilière,
Et tout d’un coup ne songea qu’aux moyens
D’avoir le bien des petits citoyens.
À cultiver sera tout difficile,
Et que des bois qu’habitent les castors,
Sous de ces lieux les uniques trésors.
Il ne falloit de sang commun qu’une once
Pour suggérer une telle réponse.
Et cependant, su de simples billets,
Quelques fourmis lâcheront leurs effets.
On les railla ; mais l’étranger habile
En payoit un pour en redonner mille,
Payoit, que dis-je, un profit journalier.
Rendit chacun satisfait, ébloui ;
Heureusement revenant à lui-même,
Du gain flatteur on vit le stratagème.
Et connaissant l’impossibilité,
Tout s’éclaira et notre plénitude.
Lorsque nous fait des promesses trop amples.
Efforçons-nous d’un funeste retour,
Quand on propose un profit sans exemple,
Il doit paroître aussi clair que le jour.
The Swallow and the Ants
The Mississippi
A clever and adventurous swallow,
One day entered an anthill,
And all at once thought only of the means
To acquire the wealth of the little citizens.
To cultivate would be very difficult,
And of the woods inhabited by beavers,
Under these places lie the unique treasures.
It took but a drop of common blood
To suggest such a response.
And yet, by means of simple notes,
Some ants carelessly gave up their possessions.
They were mocked; but the clever stranger
Paid one to give back a thousand,
Paid, what am I saying, a daily profit.
Satisfied, dazzled, everyone was pleased;
Fortunately, returning to their senses,
From the enticing gain, the stratagem was revealed.
And realizing the impossibility,
Everything became clear, and our fulfillment returned.
When promises made are too great.
Let us avoid a tragic return,
When one proposes an unprecedented profit.
It must appear as clear as day.
Abbé de Grécourt was related to John Law through familial ties, adding a personal dimension to their interactions. During the early 18th century, when Law’s financial schemes, including the Mississippi Company, led to speculative mania, Law sought to engage Grécourt in his ventures. Grécourt, however, declined and responded with a satirical poem, Le Solitaire et la fortune, critiquing the pursuit of wealth and the fickleness of fortune. This familial connection underscores Grécourt’s personal and philosophical resistance to Law’s speculative practices, reflecting broader societal concerns about the era’s financial excesses.
Le Solitaire et la Fortune
Fable
Un solitaire ennemi de la Gène,
Mais esclave de toute volupté,
Qui répète, après elles n’entraîne
Ni le remords, ni la satiété,
Vivoit en paix sans embarras, ni craintes
Avec un livre, un verre, et son amante.
Avint une soir qu’il entend un grand bruit,
Gros équipage, et tout le train qui suit.
Dame Fortune, elle-même en personne,
Vint à la porte, en lui criant, c’est moi.
“Cerveau, qui avroit ouverture pour l’ordonne.”
“J’en en fis rien, comment?” dit-elle, “Quoi?”
“Vous n’ouvrirez pas, vous refusez un gîte
À la Fortune, et n’accourez pas vite?”
“La recevoir, je ne vous convierai pas,”
Répondit-il, “elle prie, elle gronde.”
“Le tout environ, aller frapper plus bas.
Je n’aurais pas où coucher tant de monde,
Ché logis en seulement la moitié.
Vous êtes sourd; de grâce, aiez pitié.”
“Mon cher ami, de la magnificence
Qui se moffond, la fierté, l’opulence,
Les dignités, les honneurs sont ici,
Réduits hélas à vous crier merci.”
“J’en suis fâché, mais ne puis que leur faire.”
The poem “Le Solitaire et la Fortune” allegorically reflects Abbé de Grécourt’s refusal to engage with John Law and his speculative ventures during the Mississippi Bubble. The hermit represents Grécourt, content with a modest and peaceful life, while Lady Fortune symbolizes Law’s alluring but risky offers of wealth and prestige.
Fortune’s arrival, accompanied by grandeur, mirrors Law’s attempts to entice Grécourt with promises of prosperity. The hermit’s firm rejection critiques the transient and hollow nature of wealth, as Fortune’s entourage—pride, opulence, and dignity—are reduced to begging. This parallels the speculative mania and collapse of Law’s financial system, where lofty ambitions led to ruin.
Grécourt’s choice to prioritize simplicity, intellectual freedom, and emotional contentment over material gain aligns with the hermit’s peaceful life. The poem underscores the value of rejecting fleeting wealth for enduring principles, offering a subtle critique of Law’s ambitious but destructive schemes.
The Hermit and Fortune
Fable
A hermit, enemy of hardship,
But a slave to every pleasure,
Who repeats, without them leading
To either remorse or satiety,
Lived in peace without trouble or fear,
With a book, a glass, and his lover.
One evening, he heard a loud noise,
A grand carriage and all the commotion that follows.
Lady Fortune herself, in person,
Came to his door, shouting, “It’s me!”
“A mind that would open for such a command,”
“I have done nothing,” she said, “What?”
“You won’t open, you refuse a shelter
To Fortune, and you don’t come running quickly?”
“To receive her, I will not invite her,”
He replied, “she begs, she scolds.”
“Let everything around go knock elsewhere.
I would not have room to house so many,
This dwelling fits only half.
You are deaf; please, have pity.”
“My dear friend, the magnificence,
That crumbles, the pride, the opulence,
The dignities, the honors are here,
Reduced, alas, to begging for your mercy.”
“I am sorry, but what can I do for them?”
Another poem underlines Grecourt’s uninterested goal of pursuing wealth:
La vieille Sorcière & La Couronne
De la part de Dame Fortune
Une vieille vint me trouver
Veux-tu mon pouvoir éprouver
Me dit-elle ! quitte ta brune.
C’en une pure illusion
Que les plaisirs que l’amour donne
Il vaut mieux que cette couronne
Soit l’objet de ta passion.
Bellone conduira tes armées
Minerve dictera tes lois
Et parfait modèle des Rois
Des peuples tu feras les charmes.
La couronne alloit se placer
Et voulait me ceindre la tête,
Mais satisfait de ma conquête
J’en grand soin de la repousser.
Grand merci libérale Douceur
Je te rends grâce de tes biens,
À ma chère Iris je m’entretiens.
J’aime, je suis aimé, je règne.
The Old Witch & The Crown
From Lady Fortune,
An old woman came to see me,
“Do you wish to test my power?”
She said to me! “Leave your brunette.”
It’s a pure illusion
That the pleasures love gives
Are worth more than this crown;
Let it be the object of your passion.
Bellona will lead your armies,
Minerva will dictate your laws,
And as a perfect model of kings,
You will enchant the people.
The crown was about to be placed
And wanted to encircle my head,
But satisfied with my conquest,
I made a great effort to push it away.
Many thanks, generous Sweetness,
I give you gratitude for your gifts.
With my dear Iris, I dwell.
I love, I am loved, I reign.
402 handwritten pages (plus a few blank leaves at the end). In-quarto format (15×21 cm). Full calf binding, smooth spine with Directoire-style decoration. Binding heavily rubbed. Bluish paper, typical of the post-revolutionary era. Water stains on the first pages, otherwise clean. Endpapers detached from the pastedowns.
One “correction” involves a word in a stanza -titire- intentionally left out by the scribe, with enough space left between the preceding and following words to be filled in by a different hand.
The last and most significant correction is a word crossed out at the beginning of a stanza, with the new word written above, also in a different hand.
Although the title attributes the manuscript to a J. L. Poil, the works are by Grecourt.