‎"(CHAPPUZEAU, SAMUEL) (+) (PECHANTRE, NICOLAS DE).‎
‎Le Riche Mecontent, ou le Noble Imaginaire. Comedie. Representee sur le Theatre Royal de l'Hotel de Bourgogne (+) Les Engagement du Hazard, Comedie (+) Les Yvrongnes, comédie satiribulesque. - [THREE RARE FRENCH PLAYS]‎

‎Paris, Baptiste Loyson, 1662 (+) Paris, Coube, 1657 (+) Cologne, Pierre Marteau, 1687. 8vo. In contemporary ful calf with four raised bands and gilt ornamentation to spine. Super ex-libris to boards. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spine. Light wear to extremities, parts of gilting on spine worn off. Internally lightly browned and closely trimmed, occassionally touching letters. (10), 82, (12), 94, (4), 52 pp.‎

Reference : 61272

‎Three early French plays, all first editions, from what is widely regarded as being the golden age of French playwriting. All are of the utmost scarcity and we have only been able to trace one auction-record, namely that of “Le Riche Mecontent” (Sold at “Early English Literature and Americana duplicates and selections from the Library of Henry E. Huntington”, 1920 - described as ""Very scarce""). These plays are all examples of French comedy from the 17th century, a period marked by the flourishing of theater in France, particularly in Paris. This era witnessed the development of a distinct French theatrical tradition with an emphasis on comedic works. These plays incorporate satire, using humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize and mock societal norms, behaviors or specific social groups “Le Riche Mecontent” was written for Hôtel de Bourgogne, a theatre, built in 1548 for the first authorized theatre troupe in Paris, the Confrérie de la Passion. It was considered the most important French theatre until the 1630s, it continued to be used until 1783. Nicolas de Péchantré (1638 – 1708), author of 'Les Engagement' and 'Les Yvrongnes' obtained three times the laurel at the Academy of Floral Games, and acquired great popularity by his tragedy of Greta. Georges Vicaire, French bibliophile and bibliographer, attributed “Les Yvrongnes” to Péchantré. Brunet 1, 1800 (Le Riche Mecontent). Not in Graesse, Barbier or Tchemerzine.‎