New light on Marguerite Delamarre and Diderot's Religieuse. This article presents documents, discovered in 1989, which modify our understanding of the relationship between Diderot's heroine and the real Marguerite Delamarre. The first (A.N., H5 3836) is a contract, dated 27 August 1759, concerning the transfer of M. Delamarre's life annuity from Longchamp Abbey to St Eutrope Abbey ; thus Diderot told the truth when he sent his heroine to St Eutrope in the second part of the novel. The second (A.N., M.C. ; Et : V : 832) is a procuration signed by Marguerite concerning her income, which proves that she was at Vernon Abbaye Royale on 9th August 1791. These documents thus throw new light on the elaboration of La Religieuse, by giving more details about the true story of M. Delamarre.
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Annie Flandreau (1992) studied this question.