From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: A prose comedy in three acts.
No one has suggested the name of any collaborator for this play. It is much abridged and materially altered from "La Jeunesse de Louis XV.," and cut down from five acts to three, from 66 scenes to 48. (See "La Jeunesse de Louis XV.," pp. 305-06.)
Despite its repeated handling and mis-treatment by the censor, this is a very satisfying little play, less known than it deserves to be. It has reminiscences of "Mlle. de Belle-Isle" and of "Le Vicomte de Bragelonne."
Regarding the omissions, the censor may be quoted as follows on "La Jeunesse de Louis XV.": "Sans attaquer le fond même de la pièce, nous signalerons comme nous paraissant sortir de toutes les convenances du théâtre : le cynisme de complaisance conjugale de l'intendant des finances Deveau : le nom du Cardinal de Fleury mêlé à une intrigue de son caractère. Et tout ce qui, dans le cours de la pièce, donne une couleur trop vive aux désordres de la cour et à cette coalition contre la sagesse du roi." ("Without assailing the foundations of the play itself, we point out that to us it appears to depart from all the proprieties of the theatre : the cynical conjugal complaisance of the Intendant of Finances Deveau ; the name of Cardinal de Fleury mingled in an intrigue unworthy of his character ; and all which, in the course of the play, gives a too vivid colour to the disorders of the court, and to this coalition against the discretion of the king.")
First performed at the Gymnase Theatre on the 15th December, 1856.
There seems to be no record of it having been printed previous to its appearance in the "Théâtre Complet" of Michel Lévy Frères, in 1865.
It is now in Vol. XIII. of the 15 Vol. edition, and in Vol. XXI. of that in 25 Vols. issued by Calmann-Lévy.
References :—
"La Censure sous Napoleon III.," pp. 45-46, 57-58. Glinel: "Alex. Dumas et Son Œuvre," page 438. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alex. Dumas," page 35. Lecomte: "Alexandre Dumas," page 121.
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: (CCVII.) CHANT DE RICHELIEU. Two eight-line stanzas, rhyming a, b, a, b, c, d, c, d. In Act 1., Scene xii.
