Versailles 9. Xbre. 1777.
J'ai reçû, Monsieur, La lettre que vous m'avez écrite le 1er. de ce mois contenant les réponses aux questions que je vous avois chargé de faire au Cape. Fautrel; Et Sur le Compte que j'en ai rendu au Roy Sa Mé a bien voulu agréér Sa justification et faire cesser Sa détention.1 Je joins ici en conséquence l'ordre pour le faire mettre en liberté que vous signifierez au Géoluer des prisons de l'orient. Je Suis [&c.]
de sartine
[Translation]
Versailles, 9 December 1777
I have received, Sir, the letter which you wrote me on the first of this month containing the answers to the questions that I had charged you to ask Capt. Fautrel. And on my reporting this to the king, His Majesty has been pleased to accept his justification and order the end of his detention.1 I am attaching, therefore, the order to set him free which you will give to the jailer of the Lorient prisons.2 I am [&c.]
L, FrLAL, series 1, E4 80, fol. 207. Addressed at foot: "M. Gonet." Docketed: "R. le 15." "Received the 15th."
1. On 2 Dec., Sartine had instructed Gonet to tell Fautrel that "nothing will excuse him from carrying out the precise orders which you will have given him before his departure." Ibid., fol. 177.
2. The order to release Fautrel is at ibid., fol. 208.
