1767-Feb.-16: A literary feud erupted in France as M.

1767-Feb.-16: A literary feud erupted in France as M. de Voltaire published a brochure criticizing M. de Bury’s recently released History of Henry IV. Voltaire accused Bury, whom he labeled a “modern compiler,” of making ill-founded imputations and factual errors regarding the famous historian M. de Thou. This public intellectual defense reflected Voltaire’s continued influence over French historical and political discourse during the Enlightenment. The colonial press frequently carried such news to keep the island’s literate colonists connected to metropolitan debates.