From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: CHANTS DES HEURES. (LXVII.) Prologue, Sc. ix—
1. The Hours of the Day : one stanza, rhyming a, b, a, b, c, c, d, e, e, e, d. (11 lines).
2. The Hours of the Night : one stanza, rhyming a, b, a, b, c, c, c, d, e, e, e, d. (12 lines). CORYPHÉE'S FIRST SONG. (LXVIII.) Act V., Sc. i.—Four four-line stanzas, rhyming a, b, a, b. They constitute the entire scene. CORYPHÉE'S SECOND SONG. (LXIX.) Act V., Sc. iii.— Six five-line stanzas, the last being identical with the first, rhyming a, b, a, a, b. CORYPHÉE'S SLUMBER SONG. (LXX.) Act V., Sc. v—Three four-line stanzas, rhyming a, b, a, b.
English translations of the "Song of the Hours" and of both the "Coryphée' s Songs" have been made by John Payne: "Flowers of France," Romantic Period, Vol. II., pp. 64-66.
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: A verse play in five acts and a prologue.
It bears a dedication to an unknown who was present on the first night. Glinel suggests that this was possibly the Duc d'Orléans, eldest son of Louis-Philippe, and a personal friend of Dumas. Following the dedication is a preface of some six pages, wherein Dumas explains how the idea came to him, and how he studied local colour at Rome and Naples.
It is certainly a fine composition, and the prologue in particular has been highly praised by critics. Quérard suggests Anicet Bourgeois as a collaborator, but Blaze de Bury says he merely suggested the role of the horse for the part of the Consul Incitatus ; or rather he suggested the horse for a role, and Dumas proposed Incitatus. Meanwhile the particular horse in question died, but Dumas was already full of the subject of a drama on old Rome.
In support of M. Glinel's suggestion regarding the identity of the unknown of the dedication, we may quote M. Courmeaux : "While waiting in his (Dumas') room, I was able to enjoy the preliminaries of his 'Caligula,' which I ran through at my ease. The folio MS., lying open on a table, a masterpiece of the author's caligraphy, and decorated with motives and borders, was that offered to the Duc d'Orléans, eldest son of Louis-Philippe, who had declared himself the patron of Alexandre Dumas."
A medallion was struck to commemorate this play.
First performed at the Théâtre Français, on the 26th December, 1837. It had twenty performances in 1837-38.
Original edition : Paris, Marchant, 1838, 8vo., pp. 176.
It was included in Vol. IV. of Passard's continuation of Charpentier's edition of the plays.
May now be read in Vol. IV. of the 15 Vol. edition of Calmann-Lévy, and in Vol. VI. of that in 25 Vols.
This piece consists of 2,440 alexandrines and 58 lyric lines.
Parody :—
"Catilina," a pot-pourri, by Romain Duclacoir (Jules Lantin).
References :— Blaze de Bury: "Alexandre Dumas," pp. 41, 68-69.
Courmeaux: "Alexandre Dumas," page 38. Gautier: "Art Dramatique," Série I., pp. 50, 84, 86.
Parigot: "Le Drame d'A. Dumas," pp. 213-18. Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Columns 1068-1070.
"Messaline à l'auteur de 'Caligula.' " An anonymous poem offered for sale at the time.
An English translation of the "Death of Lepidus," from the Prologue, has been given by John Payne in his "Flowers of France," Romantic Period, Vol. II.
