Collection Of Dramatic Plays, Including "the Honest Criminal." 1768 First Edition

It was common in the 18th century to bind several works together for the sake of economy, but here, I am convinced the intention is more subtle: indeed, if the book begins with a play entitled "The Triumph of Religion," it is certainly to reassure the casual reader of the library owner's faith. Yet immediately afterward, we find a play of a very different nature. "The Honest Criminal" by Charles Georges Fenouillot de Falbaire (1727-1800) was performed on February 2, 1768, at the Hôtel de la Duchesse de Villeroy, and was immediately banned by Minister Phelypeaux de Saint Florentin, who was in charge of controlling Protestantism. This play recounts the true story of Jean Fabre, a young Protestant from Nîmes, who begged the captain who had come to arrest his father to send him to the galleys in his place to save him from certain death. The affair shocked the public and reached Choiseul, who eventually pardoned the young man (after six years...). In a climate where Protestantism remained forbidden, the play was unsettling but caused a great stir. Voltaire approved of it (his role in the Calas affair would later be revealed). Marie Antoinette requested a performance, and it was acclaimed abroad. During the Revolution, it enjoyed renewed success. It was accompanied by an engraved portrait after Jollain and illustrated with beautiful engravings by Levasseur, the King's engraver. Dated 1768, this is still the first edition, certainly begun in 1767, as the volume held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) dated 1769 bears the inscription "second edition." It's important to remember that printing a book in the 18th century was done on a hand press, page by page, and that it took time... This volume also contains *The Deserter*, without an author's name, *Hyrza* by Sauvigny, and *Olympie* by Voltaire. The volume is in very good original condition, both the paper and the binding.