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Dramatic Act (1780)
Source: Archives nationales, 01/844 (document conservé aux Archives nationales, Paris)
Citation:
Dramatic Act (1780), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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Extract from the Registers of the King’s Council of State
THE KING Being informed that a lot of abuses and
disorders have crept into the inner workings [la police interieure] of the Comédie Française;
that the all too great number of persons who are entitled to have their say at meetings
is almost always leading to confusion and entails a waste of time which is detrimental
to the [theatre’s] public service and to the Comédiens themselves; that in order to remedy
this the First Gentlemen of His Majesty’s Bedchamber had, by a Regulation of the
first of July, seventeen hundred and sixty-six entrusted a Committee with the
administration of the Comédie; that this first precaution and other more extensive
precautions which His Majesty had prescribed, both by two rulings of his Council on
the seventeenth of March and the twelfth of May last, and by the Regulations thereto
attached, have not hitherto had the success which was expected of them; but that in
order to render the establishment of a Committee suitable for the prevention of all the
existing inconveniences and advantageous for the Comédiens themselves, all that has
to be done is to give it a new composition, and to determine the various aspects which
it is to be authorized to occupy itself with. Wishing to ensure this, the Report [saying]
yes, the King, being present at His Council, has ordered and does order that the
Society of the Comédie-Française will be governed and administrated in its internal
Matters by a permanent Committee which is to be made up of six actors and two
actresses from the Comédie, and one Secretary having advisory influence; His
Majesty wishes that this Committee should alone have the right to draw up the
fortnightly repertories, to appoint the time during which plays are to be studied
and rehearsed, to carry out readings of new plays and accept them, if so be the case;
to hear the report of the troupe leaders [semainiers]* with regard to the
regulation of the Society and to pronounce, after hearing these reports, whatever
should be necessary; to judge and suppress everything that might be contrary to good
order, and to impose, with regard to all that [is mentioned] above the fines which
the said Committee deems to be necessary; to examine the individuals who present
themselves [for auditions], to gather information about their conduct, to give its
advice to the Superiors who will make the final decision
______
*) The semainier was an actor in the Comédie-Française who was in charge,
for the duration of a week, of all the details concerning the plays which were going
to be performed then.
Extrait des Registres du Conseil d'État du Roy.
LE ROI Étant informé qu’il s’est glissé beaucoup d’abus et de
desordre dans la police interieure de la Comédie française; que le nombre trop
considerable des personnes qui ont droit de délibérer dans les assemblées y
cause presque toujours de la confusion et entraine une perte de temps nuisible
au service public et aux Comédiens eux-mêmes; que pour y remedier les
premiers Gentilshommes de la chambre de Sa Majesté avaient par un Réglement
du premier juillet mil sept cent soixante six confié à un Comité l’administration
de la Comédie; que cette premiere précaution et d’autres plus étendues que Sa
Majesté avait prescrites, tant par deux arrêts de Son Conseil le dix sept mars
et douze mai derniers, que par des Réglements y annexés, n’ont point eu jusqu’à présent
le succès qu’on devait s’en promettre; mais que pour rendre l’etablissement d’un
Comité propre à prévenir tous les inconvenients qui existent et avantageux aux
Comédiens eux-mêmes, il ne s’agit que de lui donner une nouvelle consistance, et
de déterminer les differents objets dont il sera autorisé à s’occuper. A quoi
voulant pourvoir: Oui le Rapport, Le Roi Etant en Son Conseil
a ordonné et ordonne que la Societé de la Comédie française sera regie et
administrée dans son interieur par un Comité permanent qui sera composé
de six Comédiens, deux Comédiennes et un Secrétaire ayant poids
déliberative, veut Sa Majesté qu’à ce Comité seul appartienne le droit de
faire les repertoires de quinzaine, de regler le temps ou les pièces devront être
mises à l’étude, d’entendre la lecture des pièces nouvelles et de les recevoir,
s’il y a lieu; d’entendre le rapport des Semainiers relativement à la police
de la Societé et de prononcer sur leur rapport cequ’il appartiendra, de
juger et reprimer tout cequi pourrait être contraire au bon ordre, et d’infliger
relativement à tout ceque dessus les amendes que le d[it] Comité jugera
nécessaires; d’examiner les sujets qui se présenteront, de s’informer de leur
conduite, de donner son avis aux Superieurs qui prononceront définitivement
Source: Archives nationales, 01/844 (document conservé aux Archives nationales, Paris)
Citation:
Dramatic Act (1780), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | No Commentaries
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
THE KING Being informed that a lot of abuses and
disorders have crept into the inner workings [la police interieure] of the Comédie Française;
that the all too great number of persons who are entitled to have their say at meetings
is almost always leading to confusion and entails a waste of time which is detrimental
to the [theatre’s] public service and to the Comédiens themselves; that in order to remedy
this the First Gentlemen of His Majesty’s Bedchamber had, by a Regulation of the
first of July, seventeen hundred and sixty-six entrusted a Committee with the
administration of the Comédie; that this first precaution and other more extensive
precautions which His Majesty had prescribed, both by two rulings of his Council on
the seventeenth of March and the twelfth of May last, and by the Regulations thereto
attached, have not hitherto had the success which was expected of them; but that in
order to render the establishment of a Committee suitable for the prevention of all the
existing inconveniences and advantageous for the Comédiens themselves, all that has
to be done is to give it a new composition, and to determine the various aspects which
it is to be authorized to occupy itself with. Wishing to ensure this, the Report [saying]
yes, the King, being present at His Council, has ordered and does order that the
Society of the Comédie-Française will be governed and administrated in its internal
Matters by a permanent Committee which is to be made up of six actors and two
actresses from the Comédie, and one Secretary having advisory influence; His
Majesty wishes that this Committee should alone have the right to draw up the
fortnightly repertories, to appoint the time during which plays are to be studied
and rehearsed, to carry out readings of new plays and accept them, if so be the case;
to hear the report of the troupe leaders [semainiers]* with regard to the
regulation of the Society and to pronounce, after hearing these reports, whatever
should be necessary; to judge and suppress everything that might be contrary to good
order, and to impose, with regard to all that [is mentioned] above the fines which
the said Committee deems to be necessary; to examine the individuals who present
themselves [for auditions], to gather information about their conduct, to give its
advice to the Superiors who will make the final decision
______
*) The semainier was an actor in the Comédie-Française who was in charge,
for the duration of a week, of all the details concerning the plays which were going
to be performed then.
LE ROI Étant informé qu’il s’est glissé beaucoup d’abus et de
desordre dans la police interieure de la Comédie française; que le nombre trop
considerable des personnes qui ont droit de délibérer dans les assemblées y
cause presque toujours de la confusion et entraine une perte de temps nuisible
au service public et aux Comédiens eux-mêmes; que pour y remedier les
premiers Gentilshommes de la chambre de Sa Majesté avaient par un Réglement
du premier juillet mil sept cent soixante six confié à un Comité l’administration
de la Comédie; que cette premiere précaution et d’autres plus étendues que Sa
Majesté avait prescrites, tant par deux arrêts de Son Conseil le dix sept mars
et douze mai derniers, que par des Réglements y annexés, n’ont point eu jusqu’à présent
le succès qu’on devait s’en promettre; mais que pour rendre l’etablissement d’un
Comité propre à prévenir tous les inconvenients qui existent et avantageux aux
Comédiens eux-mêmes, il ne s’agit que de lui donner une nouvelle consistance, et
de déterminer les differents objets dont il sera autorisé à s’occuper. A quoi
voulant pourvoir: Oui le Rapport, Le Roi Etant en Son Conseil
a ordonné et ordonne que la Societé de la Comédie française sera regie et
administrée dans son interieur par un Comité permanent qui sera composé
de six Comédiens, deux Comédiennes et un Secrétaire ayant poids
déliberative, veut Sa Majesté qu’à ce Comité seul appartienne le droit de
faire les repertoires de quinzaine, de regler le temps ou les pièces devront être
mises à l’étude, d’entendre la lecture des pièces nouvelles et de les recevoir,
s’il y a lieu; d’entendre le rapport des Semainiers relativement à la police
de la Societé et de prononcer sur leur rapport cequ’il appartiendra, de
juger et reprimer tout cequi pourrait être contraire au bon ordre, et d’infliger
relativement à tout ceque dessus les amendes que le d[it] Comité jugera
nécessaires; d’examiner les sujets qui se présenteront, de s’informer de leur
conduite, de donner son avis aux Superieurs qui prononceront définitivement