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

historiographer royal Historiographer Royal is the title of an appointment as official chronicler or historian of a court or monarch. It was initially particularly associated with the French monarchy, where the post existed from at least 1550, but in the later 16th and 1 ...

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

. His parody of owlishly pedantic scholarship, ''Histoire des chats'', and the protection of the

house of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (french: Maison d'Orléans), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans (french: link=no, Maison de Bourbon-Orléans) to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the Ro ...

gained him entry to the Académie française.

Maurepas Maurepas may refer to: * Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Count of Maurepas, French statesman Count of Maurepas (Yvelines) * Fort Maurepas, also known as Old Biloxi, a settlement in Louisiana (New France) * Maurepas, Louisiana, an unincorporated comm ...

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, Comédie Italienne, 1719 * ''L'Oracle de Delphes'', verse comedy in 3 acts,

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

, 1722; adapted from

La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, , ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his '' Fables'', which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Eu ...

'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 François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King o ...

and

François Rebel François Rebel (19 June 17017 November 1775) 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 The following lists of violinists are availab ...

, 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 Dauvergne Antoine Dauvergne (3 October 1713 – 11 February 1797) was a French composer and violinist. Dauvergne was born in Moulins, Allier. He served as master of the ''Chambre du roi'', director of the Concert Spirituel from 1762 to 1771, and direc ...

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 Charles Simon Favart (13 November 1710 – 12 May 1792) was a French playwright and theatre director. The Salle Favart in Paris is named after him. Biography Born in Paris, the son of a pastry-cook, he was educated at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, a ...

), opera-ballet, music by Antoine Dauvergne, presented at the Académie royale de musique, 8 August 1758 * ''Erosine'', pastorale héroïque, 1765

External links

Les Chats/The Cats at the EX-Classics Project.
Versions in both French and English; can be read online or downloaded in various formats.
François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif
on data.bnf.fr
Francois-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif's Love of Cats

Productions of his plays on CÉSAR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moncrif, François-Augustin de Paradis de 1687 births 1770 deaths Writers from Paris 18th-century French dramatists and playwrights 18th-century French poets French opera librettists French people of English descent 18th-century French male writers Members of the Académie Française