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 to

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), 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 reached maturity (then defi ...

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

house of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans () to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the House of France, Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimat ...

gained him entry to the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

. 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, 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'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 * François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter * François-Marie Arouet (better known as Voltaire; ...

and François Rebel, 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 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

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