A PASSION FOR SIGNS: SHORTHAND, UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, AND CHINESE CHARACTERS IN THE WORK OF JEAN DOUET (1587-1665?)

This paper examines the contributions of Jean Douet de Rompcroissant (1587-1665?) to the history of shorthand, the early modern search for a universal language, and Sinology. It does so on the basis of three long-forgotten script samples included in one of Rompcroissant’s obscure books, La France Guerriere VII. Partie (1644). I first introduce Douet and his work, emphasising the man’s fascination with reading and making signs. I then discuss Rompcroissant’s first two scripts: a shorthand notation and a would-be universal escriture of his own invention, connecting them with Douet’s other graphic concoctions, highlighting their relevance, and speculating on their sources and articulation principles. Next, I attempt to decipher Douet’s third sample, i.e. five columns of Chinese characters copied from a Chinese book. I compare these signs with other early European visualisations of Chinese writing, tentatively identify the characters, and indicate the type of text from which Rompcroissant lifted them. In the conclusion, I focus on some of the unexpected echoes of this minor cultural player’s efforts to idiosyncratically address the pervasive crisis of language and representation of his time, thus underscoring the present-day significance of this unwitting yet genuine pioneer.