Thomas-Simon Gueullette
Encyclopedia
Thomas-Simon Gueullette was a French
lawyer
, playwright
, scholar and man of letters, who also wrote fairy tale
s and works on the theatre itself.
de Paris, then substitute for the procureur du roi, Gueullette was a bibliophile and collector who collected several placards and journals of his time, His several works on the Théâtre-Italien, which survive in manuscript, formed the basis for the Parfaict brothers in their Histoire de l'ancien Théâtre Italien.
Gueullette was above all known for the publication of several amusing fairy tales : les Soirées bretonnes, nouveaux contes de fées (Paris, 1712, in-12) ; les Mille et un Quarts-d’heure, contes tartares (Ibid., 1715, 2 vol. in-12 ; 1753, 3 vol. in-12) ; les Aventures merveilleuses du mandarin Fum-Hoam, contes chinois (Ibid., 1723, 2 vol. in-12) ; les Sultanes de Guzarate, contes mogols (Ibid., 1732, 3 vol. in-12) ; les Mille et une Heures, contes péruviens (Amsterdam
, 1733, 2 vol. in-12).
Gueullette was the author of over 60 plays, many of which he put on at the Théâtre-Italien, where some had great success : La vie est un songe in 1717 (for which he was the translator), Arlequin-Pluton (1719) ; le Trésor supposé, en trois actes (s. d.) ; l’Horoscope accompli (1727), etc.
He also worked as an editor : Histoire du petit Jehan de Saintré (1724, 3 vol. in-12) ; Essays by Montaigne
(1725, 3 vol. in-4°) ; Works of Rabelais
(1732, 6 vol. in-8°) ; Pathelin, by Pierre Blanchet (1748, in-12), etc.
The Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal
has nine volumes of manuscripts by Gueullette.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, scholar and man of letters, who also wrote fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s and works on the theatre itself.
Life
A lawyer at the ChâteletPlace du Châtelet
The Place du Châtelet is a public square in Paris, on the right bank of the river Seine, on the borderline between the 1st and 4th arrondissements...
de Paris, then substitute for the procureur du roi, Gueullette was a bibliophile and collector who collected several placards and journals of his time, His several works on the Théâtre-Italien, which survive in manuscript, formed the basis for the Parfaict brothers in their Histoire de l'ancien Théâtre Italien.
Gueullette was above all known for the publication of several amusing fairy tales : les Soirées bretonnes, nouveaux contes de fées (Paris, 1712, in-12) ; les Mille et un Quarts-d’heure, contes tartares (Ibid., 1715, 2 vol. in-12 ; 1753, 3 vol. in-12) ; les Aventures merveilleuses du mandarin Fum-Hoam, contes chinois (Ibid., 1723, 2 vol. in-12) ; les Sultanes de Guzarate, contes mogols (Ibid., 1732, 3 vol. in-12) ; les Mille et une Heures, contes péruviens (Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, 1733, 2 vol. in-12).
Gueullette was the author of over 60 plays, many of which he put on at the Théâtre-Italien, where some had great success : La vie est un songe in 1717 (for which he was the translator), Arlequin-Pluton (1719) ; le Trésor supposé, en trois actes (s. d.) ; l’Horoscope accompli (1727), etc.
He also worked as an editor : Histoire du petit Jehan de Saintré (1724, 3 vol. in-12) ; Essays by Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne
Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne , February 28, 1533 – September 13, 1592, was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, known for popularising the essay as a literary genre and is popularly thought of as the father of Modern Skepticism...
(1725, 3 vol. in-4°) ; Works of Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
(1732, 6 vol. in-8°) ; Pathelin, by Pierre Blanchet (1748, in-12), etc.
The Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal
Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal
The Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris is one of the branches of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.-History:...
has nine volumes of manuscripts by Gueullette.
Works online
- Arlequin Pluton (1719)
- Nocrion, conte allobroge (1747)
- La Confiance des cocus (1756)
Source
- Gustave Vapereau, Dictionnaire universel des littératures, Paris, Hachette, 1876, p. 950