1669-1747 He got a little famous once How it happened was the monks at Saint-Jean d’Amiens Abbey got tired of their old building And who else but their clever mute artist should draw up the plans and take charge of its reconstruction So the man who had learned at the abbey writing reading numbers geometry mechanics drawing architecture history holy and profane especially of France got busy He went to the quarry with Brother Claude and Père Postel and squinted in the sun and pointed here and there After twelve years of drawing and squinting in the sun and explaining himself very well to the workmen the abbey sparkled Magnificent magnificent they all said the most beautiful house in the town A memorable day was when Père Postel wrote in his diary March the eighth in the year of Our Lord seventeen hundred eighteen the Bishop of Amiens graced us with a visit He wanted to see Monsieur de Fay our deaf mute boarder to witness himself all the good things he had heard about him and after seeing his talent and capabilities he ought to say that we had a true miracle among us After smiling and nodding and bowing and explaining himself very well Étienne de Fay hurried back to draw up the month’s lists of things he would buy at market for the brothers And always there were deaf children under his charge all of whom learned everything and to explain themselves very well One of the pupils was Azy d’Etavigny and he stayed with his master for eight years But then his father heard of the oralist Pereire that he could make the mute speak The oralist Pereire said yes yes your poor stricken son shall be a beneficiary of my secret method and he shall be famous in all the land Only the deaf pupils remembered their master and told their deaf friends about him and for one hundred fifty years his French name was buried inside the house he built and he was known only as old deaf mute there Amiens
Étienne De Fay
1669–1747