Paris, chez Jean Camusat, 1638.
8vo [176 x 108 mm] of (1) bl. l., 192 pp., (1) bl. l. Long old handwritten note in ink at the back of the title. Bound in full limp contemporary vellum, flat spine with the title handwritten at the head. Contemporary binding.
Rare first edition of the first work of the very young French Academy created two years earlier, that takes part here in the violent quarrel of the Cid.
Picot, Catalogue Rothschild, n° 1143; Tchemerzine, II, 235; Picot, Bibliographie cornélienne, n° 1380; Rahir, La Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 379.
« The Academy named Chapelain to collect its observations » (Bulletin Morgand et Fatout, n°7835).
« Scudéry s’étant avisé d’écrire un libelle contre Corneille sous le titre d’’Observations du le Cid’ et d’en appeler au jugement de l’Académie, le cardinal de Richelieu prit son parti et força la Compagnie, malgré ses répugnances, à se mêler d’une affaire dans laquelle le sentiment public s’était déjà vivement prononcé :
‘En vain contre le Cid un ministre se ligue
Tout Paris pour Chimène a les yeux de Rodrigue’.
Le 16 juin 1637, l’Académie, pour complaire à son puissant protecteur, confia à trois commissaires, dont Chapelain et Conrart, le soin de préparer la réponse aux ‘Observations’ de Scudéry.
Le manuscrit de Chapelain est conservé à la Bibliothèque nationale. Presque à chaque page, de la main du cardinal ou de celle de Clitois, son médecin, on trouve des notes marginales, des passages soulignés, des ratures qui témoignent de l’intervention passionnée de Richelieu. Si bien qu’on peut presque affirmer que le livre qui a pour titre : ‘Les Sentimens de l’Académie françoise sur la tragi-comédie du Cid’, est bien plus son œuvre que celle de la Compagnie. »
Bibliothèque H. De Backer, n°852.
Through the present work written in most part by Valentin Conrart and Jean Chapelain, the French Academy takes part in the fierce debate resulting from the publication of Corneille’s masterpiece in 1637.
This is the only time when the Academy sets up as a literary referee.
“The preference that the public granted Corneille on all its competitors drew the jealousy of several authors towards him among which some wrote against the ‘Cid’. The French Academy was even obliged by orders of Cardinal Richelieu to examine this play... That’s what produced the book entitled ‘Sentiments de l’Académie Françoise sur la Tragi-comédie du Cid’…». (Moreri, Le Grand dictionnaire historique, II, p. 379).
“Corneille having given a performance of his ‘Cid’, he was put infinitely above all the others… On June 6, 1637 it was ordered that the Academy would examine the ‘Cid’ and the ‘Observations’ against the Cid. M. Chapelain presented the manuscript of his mémoirs to the Cardinal. He examined this work with much care and attention. That’s how les ‘Sentimens de l’Académie françoise sur le Cid’ were published after 5 months of labour. The audience received with much approval and respect this work of the French Academy. Those even who didn’t share its opinion couldn’t praise it enough… » (Pellisson, Histoire de l’Académie françoise, 1743, pp. 110-130).
“This work is a masterpiece in its genre. Of all the criticisms, this is perhaps the only good one, and that can be read successfully… » (old handwritten note in ink at the back of the title).
Precious copy, very pure, specially wide-margined since preserved in its contemporary limp vellum binding.
