Charles Nicholas Cochin's "halfbiography", written by monsieur Edmond Goncour, a "mayfirster"-founder of the "societe de gens de lettres" in France, can be found on the web under title "COCHIN". In french, it is THE perfect example of the art of "halftruth" writing.
Goncour's "fiction only" society has yet to respond to the following letter of October 24th, 2005:
La societe de gens de lettres
Paris-FRANCE
Subject: E.Goncour's "COCHIN".
Dear members of the board of the prestigious literary award.
Quite different than the "man" presented by your founder, Charles-Nicholas left much deeper an "estampe" on world matters, including culture, than all other contemporary gens de lettres combined.
Did Edmond know who he really was?
Of course!
He knew of San Severo's capella, of Benjamin's fur-cap portrait, of his political role, of his "Saint Germain", "Savalette" (See note) and "Saltycov" personnae, he researched him in detail, but...
Why then did he diminish him?
One cannot really answer the question without combining the archives of "L'abbaye royal de Sain Pierre de Jumieges" to the Cocchini family history, a small part of which I present to you in my native language.
Notice please that neither the french nor the fiorentine branches are included: A well kept secret, you see, the undersigned did not even know of their existence, so Charles-Nicholas-who created the abbe Cochin of 687- and Concino are not mentioned.
Would it be ethnically improper*1 to suggest a toast to their memory (bourbon naturally) in your next gathering?
Yours truly
*1.Les Cochin, selon un mot de Georges Goyau, peuvent "errer à travers Paris comme à travers un musée familial"...(transl: The Cochin, as per George Goyau, "are wrong to consider Paris a family Museum".) G.Goyau became a member of the french Academy replacing a Cochin early in the 20th century)
Note for the reader of this forum : Savalette de Lange, WAS NOT another identity of Saint Germain as wrongly stated above. A notorious personality, a mason of particular sexual tastes and habits, he normally dressed as a woman and, shortly before the french revolution, "sold" positions and appointments in the french foreign service.
Next post will tackle the subject of the archive of L'abbaye royal de Sain Pierre de Jumieges!