François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif
Encyclopedia
François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif (1687, Paris
- 19 November 1770, Paris) was a French writer and poet, of a family originally of Scots origin. He was appointed royal historiographer to Louis XV of France
. His parody of owlishly pedantic scholarship, Histoire des chats, and the protection of the house of Orléans
gained him entry to the Académie française
. Maurepas records in his memoirs that at the induction ceremony, a member let loose a cat he had secreted in his pocket: the cat miaowed, the Académiciens miaowed and the serious oration dissolved in laughter.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- 19 November 1770, Paris) was a French writer and poet, of a family originally of Scots origin. He was appointed royal historiographer to Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. His parody of owlishly pedantic scholarship, Histoire des chats, and the protection of the house of Orléans
House of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
gained him entry to the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. Maurepas records in his memoirs that at the induction ceremony, a member let loose a cat he had secreted in his pocket: the cat miaowed, the Académiciens miaowed and the serious oration dissolved in laughter.
Works
- Les Aventures de Zeloïde et d'Amanzarifdine, contes indiens, 1715
- La Fausse magie, prose comedy in 3 acts, Théâtre-Italien, 1719
- L'Oracle de Delphes, verse comedy in 3 acts, Comédie-FrançaiseComédie-FrançaiseThe Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
, 1722; adapted from La Fontaine's Le Mari confesseur, it was interdicted at the fourth performance, its satire against paganism appearing to be applicable to the Christian religion. - Histoire des Chats : dissertation sur la prééminence des chats dans la société, sur les autres animaux d'Égypte, sur les distinctions et privilèges dont ils ont joui personnellement, 1727
- Les Abdérites, verse comedy in 1 act, 1732
- L'Empire de l'Amour, ballet en vers libres, 1733
- Essais sur la Necessité et sur les Moyens de Plaire, 1738
- Les Ames rivales, novel 1738
- Œuvres mêlées, 1743
- Zélindor, roi des Sylphes, ballet libretto, music by François Francœur and François RebelFrançois RebelFrançois Rebel was a French composer of the Baroque era. Born in Paris, the son of the leading composer Jean-Féry Rebel, he was a child prodigy who became a violinist in the orchestra of the Paris Opera at the age of 13...
, presented at Versailles 17 March 1745 - Poésies chrétiennes composées par ordre de la Reine, 1747
- Almasis, ballet, 1748
- Ismène, pastorale héroïque, 1748
- Observations pour servir à l'histoire des gens de lettres qui ont vécu dans ce siècle, 1751
- La Sybille, ballet music by Antoine DauvergneAntoine DauvergneAntoine Dauvergne was a French composer and violinist. Dauvergne served as master of the Chambre du roi, director of the Concert Spirituel from 1762 to 1771, and director of the Opéra three times between 1769 and 1790...
presented at Versailles, 13 November 1753 - Enée et Lavinie (with Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle), lyric tragedy in 5 actst music by Antoine Dauvergne, presented at the Académie royale de musique, 14 February 1758
- Les Fêtes d'Euterpe (with Charles-Simon Favart), opera-ballet, music by Antoine Dauvergne, presented at the Académie royale de musique, 8 August 1758
- Erosine, pastorale héroïque, 1765