Paris, Antoine de Sommaville, 1637.
4to [222 x 162 mm] of (1) bl.l., (4) ll., 92 pp., (1) bl.l. Preserved in its contemporary limp vellum binding, handwritten title with ink on the upper cover, flat spine. Small inkstain on the upper cover, minor small old restoration in the lower cover vellum. Contemporary binding.
First edition of this tragedy by Jean Mairet played for the first time in 1630 and published the same year as the ‘Cid’.
Brunet, III, 1323; Tchemerzine, IV, 328.
Jean de Mairet (1604-1686), a successful dramatic author, was born in Besançon on January 4th, 1604. “In 1616 he was put in the Collège des Grassins in Paris, where he was soon noticed for his poetical genius. When he finished this school, he managed to have played the tragedy entitled ‘Chriséide et Arimant’, a work that he had just composed in one go, drawing his inspiration from ‘L’Astrée’ by Urfé, and that was very successful (1620). Changing a bit his way, Mairet gave, the following year (1621), ‘Sylvie’, a concetti play that was also very applauded. Four years later, he fully gained the public’s admiration with a pastoral tragedy: ‘La Silvanire, ou la morte vive’ (1625). Having gained the duke of Montmorency’s favours, grand amiral of France, Mairet followed him in his expedition against Protestants entrenched on the Island of Oleron. During this campaign, he showed great bravery. As soon as he left the army, he went back to theatre: ‘Les Galanteries du duc d’Ossonne, comédie’ (1627), ‘Virginie, tragi-comédie’ (1628), ‘Marc-Antoine ou la Cléopâtre, tragédie’ (1630).” (Dictionnaire des auteurs, III, 239).
“The author was so successful that he was granted a pension by Richelieu, and the honour of being among the authors that the cardinal was making work under his strict authority”.
Jean Mairet takes a very active part in the “quarrel of the Cid” where he reveals himself as Corneille’s fierce opponent. He is the author of many pamphlets against Corneille, who by the way responds to him several times (Avertissement au Besancennois Mairet / Warning to Mairet from Besançon in 1637). It would take Richelieu’s personal intervention the stop the quarrel.
The year 1637, when Marcantoine ou la Cleopatre is published, as well as the Cid, is a turning point for Mairet as the Cid triumphs, and the count of Bellin, patron of Mairet’s theatre, dies.
In this tragedy, the author rectifies Cleopatra’s person and makes of her a faithful and pious wife and mother, going that way in the direction wanted by Richelieu to reinforce moral in plays.
According to Voltaire: “Jean de Mairet opened the career Rotrou entered, and it was only by imitating them that Corneille learnt to surpass them”.
Very pure copy preserved in its contemporary limp vellum binding.
