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Light on Molière in 1664 from Le Second Registre de La Thorillière

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

William Leonard Schwartz
William Leonard Schwartz*
Affiliation:
Stanford University
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Extract

Molière's career as an actor-manager would be largely a matter of conjecture today but for the preservation of four account books now in the archives of the Comédie-Française. Of these documents, the two earliest have been published in extenso; first, the “Registre de La Grange” entitled Extraict des Receptes et des Affaires de la Comédie depuis Pasques de l'année 1659, appartenant au Srde La Grange, l'un des Comédiens du Roy, with a biographical notice by Édouard Thierry, published by the Comédie-Française in 1876; and secondly, Le Premier Registre de La Thorilliére (1663–64), published in 1890 in an edition of 340 copies in the Nouvelle Collection Moliéresque of D. Jouaust, with preface and notes by Georges Monval, archivist of the Comédie-Française in 1878 and librarian in 1885. I assume that Monval intended to publish the two account books remaining in the archives of his theater, known traditionally as the Second Registre de La Thorilliére (1664–65), and the Registre d'Hubert (1672–73), for Monval announced the former as in press in 1890, and in 1897 it was still advertised as in preparation. However, Damase Jouaust, Monval's publisher, died in 1893, and his successor, the Flammarion firm, only completed the publication of a series of plays by Molière edited by Vitu and Monval. The last volume of this edition, Monval's Chronologie Moliéresque, appeared in 1897.

Type
Research Article
Information
PMLA , Volume 53 , Issue 4 , December 1938 , pp. 1054 - 1075
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1938

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References

Note 1 in page 1054 Hence, when holding a fellowship of the C. R. B. Educational Foundation in 1936, I applied to M. Jean Monval, the new librarian of the Comédie-Française, through Mile Droz and M. Fuchs, officers of the Société des Historiens du Théâtre, for permission to have a photostatic copy made of the book. This copy of the Second Registre has been deposited in the Stanford Library. Here I wish to thank these persons and especially M. Émile Fabre and the members of the Conseil d'Administration for authorizing this work, and add the expression of my gratitude to the C.B.R. Educational Foundation and Stanford University for financial help.

Note 2 in page 1055 The Premier Registre (the one published by Monval) had no serial number, and bore a title of later date: “Registre de la Troupe des Comédiens du Roy au Pallais Royal 1663.” The company was called the “Troupe de Monsieur” until Aug. 14, 1665. Although these accounts are also entirely hand written, the unused side of each leaf bears a printed form intended for the convenience of the treasurer, with headings for the following entries: the date; receipts in the pit; receipts from boxes, stage seats and amphitheatre; and the items of expenditure: “Frais ordinaires, y compris les portiers, Ouureurs de Loges, les Femmes, les Violons, Affiches & Afficheur, Chandelles, Crestien (the concierge), Mercier (unidentified) & Pauures; / Pour Cronier (scene painter) / Menuisier/Serrurier/Masson/Charpentier / Crocheteurs / Carosses / Cochers / Chaises / Bois / Cloux et fisselles / Soldats / Musique / Danseurs / Hautsbois / Nattier,” op. cit. p. vi.

Note 3 in page 1058

Despois, (Œuvres de Molière, iv, 6, comments on this statement, but prints 33 for 330 livres spent on costumes.

Note 4 in page 1064 I do not understand why Monval, Chronologie, 158, stated under this date: “La comtesse de Guiche assiste à la Princesse d'Élide.” He failed to note the three other entries I have quoted concerning the Count.

Note 5 in page 1070 Lancaster observes that these hose cost 5lb10 a pair, while those of the satyrs cost 9lb.

Note 6 in page 1072 Monval cited this entry and the item following about the miring down of the baggage. These items were questioned by Michaut, Luttes de Molière (p. 133, n. 3).

Note 7 in page 1073 La Grange, Registre, 63, Feb. 15: “Donné a Mrde Beauchamps prfaire le Ballet cinqteLouis d'or, cy 550lb”

Note 8 in page 1075 De Ronsard à Victor Hugo, p. 70.

Note 9 in page 1075 The Second Registre, as has already been shown in passing, corroborates six of the discoveries of G. Monval which perplexed Professor Michaut, Luttes de Molière (p. 133 n.3): “Je ne sais à quoi répondent les indications suivantes de la Chronologie de Monval: 4 septembre, à Vincennes: visite.—9 septembre Le Médecin par force . . . jeudi 10 septembre [but Monval wrote octobre], à Vincennes; . . . Samedi 29 novembre [visite au Raincy]; arrêt à l'hôtellerie de Bondy; le bagage dans un bourbier. . . : mercredi 7 . . . Cambert reçoit de la troupe 300 livres.”

Professor Lancaster has kindly checked up my decipherment of these photostats, and Professor Bert E. Young kindly collated some pages for me in Paris.