ABSTRACT
This chapter examines John Lockman’s translation of the first ten volumes of the Lettres édifiantes et curieuses, a famous collection of Jesuit letters and treatises from all four corners of the world. As many other Enlightened scholars, Lockman’s attitude towards the Jesuits was shaped by a strong mistrust. This was especially the case when their reports could not be crossed checked by any other description which was often the case because Jesuits were among the first Europeans writing from remote regions in the world. But whereas many Enlightened scholars would just cherry-pick what they needed and leave out the rest of the account, Lockman was convinced of the importance of presenting the entire account. He mostly translated the long treatises fully and carefully. In so doing, he was acutely aware of the danger of being manipulated by the Jesuits as he reflected in his preface. He therefore thought about antidots (as he calls it) against dangerous knowledge. I analyse Lockman’s reading practices, especially in the elaborate preface, and examine how he assessed truth in stories which he could not check personally. Reading the Jesuits, Lockman explained, necessitated a very active and highly emotional way of gauging truth in stories. Because both reading and translating were emotional processes, Lockman was convinced that his emotions were a clear signpost to untrustworthiness.
