From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: A military drama, in prose, consisting of five acts and fourteen tableaux. (Parran and Glinel both say in fifteen tableaux, though the latter notes what the "Théâtre Complet" says.) De Mirecourt says Paul Meurice had some hand in this piece. Lecomte says both Paul Meurice and Auguste Maquet, but this usually sound authority does not appear to be aware of Goizet's statement that Maquet had asked him to delete his name from six plays, of which this is one, since, though he was paid a share of their profits, he had nothing to do with their composition. Again, as regards Meurice, we can place his assistance here as probably slight, since he makes no claim to it when issuing his collected works.
The play commences with Napoleon's final struggle before being banished to the Isle of Elba, and concludes with his return therefrom. Pathetic and clever use is made of an old colonel's blindness to deceive him as to actual occurrences, and in particular regarding his son's sentence to death. This may well be what supplied the germ idea to Daudet for his "Siège de Berlin."
Dumas depicts a fine old Napoleonic veteran here in Fortune, worthy of his gallery. He links this play with the earlier one called "Napoleon" by including that other old soldier who appeared in the first, Lorrain.
A brief postscript refers to his political beliefs, in which he states : "I deny having ever made a political play from any other point of view than that of Republican opinions."
First performed at the National Theatre (formerly the Cirque), on April 21st, 1851.
Original edition : Paris, Marchant, 8vo. of two columns, forming part of the "Magasin Théâtral," 1851.
Now part of Vol. XI. in the 15 Vol. series, and of Vol. XVIII. of that in 25 Vols., by Calmann-Lévy.
References :—
Goizet: "Collaboration au Théâtre," page 160. Lecomte: "Alexandre Dumas," page 120. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alex. Dumas," page 120. Glinel: "Alex. Dumas et Son Œuvre," page 425.
