From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: A prose drama in five acts and thirteen tableaux.
Drawn from the romance of the same name by Dumas and Maquet. It follows its original, in the main, with great exactitude, though with a skilfully varied divergence at the conclusion.
It was this piece which Dumas finally selected as that for the opening of the Théâtre Historique, No romance of his is more breathless, not even "Les Trois Mousquetaires," and the drama fully equals the story. Those present on the first night stated that the audience sat spell-bound throughout the nine hours which it took to perform, and yet it was but a bare two years since they had just as excitedly followed its appearance as a feuilleton.
All that was most eminent in literature, art and criticism, and much that was famous in other walks of life, were present on this first night.
Long years afterwards, Blaze de Bury wrote of the effect produced by Rouvière, as Charles IX., in the scene where the poisoned Actaeon is found : ' It was one of only three occasions on which I could unreservedly praise an actor in his part."
From a letter in the Reed Dumas Collection it seems that, shortly before the production of this play, de Leuven and Vanderburch were preparing one from the romance, which, by expostulating, Dumas seemingly prevented,
First performed at the Théâtre Historique on the 20th February, 1847.
Original edition : Paris, Michel Lévy Frères, 18mo., English format, pp. 152,1847.
Is now part of Vol. VI. of the 15 Vol. series, and of Vol. X. in that of 25 Vols. issued by Calmann-Lévy.
References :— Gautier: "Art Dramatique," Série V., pp. 41-47. Lecomte: "Alexandre Dumas," pp. 57-58, 118.
Chincholle: "A, Dumas Aujourd'hui," pp. 42-43. Blaze de Bury: "Alexandre Dumas," pp. 188-190. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alex. Dumas," page 30. Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Columns 1079-1082. Hostein: "Historiettes et Souvenirs," pp. 11-20.
Laferrière: "Mémoires," pp. 244-46.
"La Revue de l'Art Dramatique," March 1st. 1889.—"Le Théâtre Historique d'A. Dumas," par A. Pougin.
Parodies, etc. :—
"Catherine 3/6," three acts, by Barthélemy Jarnet, Salvat and Auguste Jouhaud, performed on the 6th of March, 1847, at the Théâtre des Délassements. Quérard gives a brief account of it. (It was not printed.)
"La Reine Margoton," an historical overture in six tableaux, by x x x, performed at the Théâtre des Funambules on the 20th of March, 1847. (Not printed.)
"La Reine Argot," in three acts and seven tableaux, in verse, by Lubize, Adolphe Guénée and Marc Leprévost, played at the Folies Dramatiques on 23rd of March, 1847. Published, Paris, Michel Lévy, pp. 60, 12mo., 1847.
"Apothéose de M. A. Dumas à la suite de la première représentation de 'La Reine Margot,' " six couplets, printed by Lacour et Cie., Paris, pp. 4.
"Fouyou au Théâtre Historique, représentation de 'La Reine Margot,' pot-pourri en 14 tableaux." Paris. Vieillot, 12mo., 1847.
