In
1951, Jacques B... was appointed Regional history teacher at the Collège
du Montcel (now the Cartier Foundation). But his teaching methods proved
so idiosyncratic that his experience lasted just a single academic year.
During his time there, on the sole basis of the testimony of the inhabitants
of Jouy, he arranged a series of talks which he gave, depending on the
time of year, at the foot of the trees that had sheltered his reflections
and could still bear witness to numerous past events.
B... dreamed of a living History enrooted like a legend in the land of
his origins. In this way, categorically refusing to expose the slightest
piece of his writing (accusing them of putting too rigid interpretation
on what he had to say), he scattered the manuscripts of his speeches
in the various setts of the rabbits, badgers and foxes living in Montcel
Wood.
For several months, an international contemporary archaeology team has
been looking at the buried archives of former teacher, B... It is trying,
with a degree of success, to bring his lecture notes to light in order
to study the main features of their possible underground development.