Louis Jean Népomucène Lemercier (20 April 1771 – 7 June 1840) was a French poet and playwright.

Life

Lemarcier was born in Paris. His father had been intendant successively to the duc de Penthièvre, the comte de Toulouse and the unfortunate princesse de Lamballe, who was the boy's godmother. Lemercier was a prodigy; before he was sixteen his

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

of ''Méléagre'' was produced at the Théâtre Français. ''Clarisse Harlowe'' (1792) provoked the criticism that the author was "''pas assez roué pour peindre les roueries''" (not enough scamp to depict scamp tricks.) ''Le Tartufe révolutionnaire'' a

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

full of bold political allusions, was suppressed after the fifth performance. In 1795, Lemercier's masterpiece ''Agamemnon'', called by Charles Lafitte the last great antique tragedy in French literature, was produced. It was a great success, but was violently attacked later by Julien Louis Geoffroy who stigmatized it as a bad caricature of Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon. ''Les quatre métamorphoses'' (1799) was written to prove that the most indecent subjects might be treated without offence. The ''Pinto'' (1800) was the result of a wager that no further dramatic innovations were possible after the comedies of

Pierre Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three #Figaro plays, Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watc ...

. It is a historical

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

on the subject of the Portuguese Revolution of 1640. This play was construed as casting reflections on the first consul

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, who had hitherto been a firm friend of the avowed republican Lemercier. His extreme freedom of speech finally offended Napoleon, and the quarrel proved disastrous to Lemercier's fortune for the time. In 1803, he earned a severe disappointment on the première of his tragedy ''Isule et Orovèse'' which was widely ridiculed and hooted by the public; consequently, at the beginning of the third act Lemercier withdrew his manuscript. He published his text with annoted “hootings” in order to pay deference to his public. None of his subsequent work fulfilled the expectations raised by ''Agamemnon'', with the exception perhaps of ''Frédégonde et Brunehaut'' (1821). In 1810, he was elected 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 ...

, where he consistently opposed the romanticists, refusing to vote for

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

– who was to succeed him in the ''fauteuil'' 14.Site of the Académie française
/ref> In spite of this, he has some pretensions to be considered the earliest of the romantic school. His ''Christophe Colomb'' (1809), advertised on the play-bill as a ''comédie shakespérienne'' ic represented the interior of a ship, and showed no respect for the

classical unities The classical unities, Aristotelian unities, or three unities represent a prescriptive theory of dramatic tragedy that was introduced in Italy in the 16th century and was influential for three centuries. The three unities are: #''unity of action' ...

. Its numerous innovations provoked such violent disturbances in the audience that one person was killed and future representations had to be guarded by the police. Lemercier wrote four long and ambitious epic poems: ''Homère'', ''Alexandre'' (1801), ''L'Atlantiade ou la théogonie newtonienne'' (1812) and ''Moïse'' (1823), as well as an extraordinary '' Panhypocrisiade'' (1819–1832), a distinctly romantic production in sixteen

canto The canto () is a principal form of division in medieval and modern long poetry. Etymology and equivalent terms The word ''canto'' is derived from the Italian word for "song" or "singing", which comes from the Latin ''cantus'', "song", from th ...

s, which has the sub-title ''Spectacle infernal du XVIe siècle''. In it 16th century history, with

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

and Francis I as principal personages, is played out on an imaginary stage by demons in the intervals of their sufferings. Lemercier died on 7 June 1840 in Paris. He had composed his own epitaph as follows: ''« Il fut homme de bien et cultiva les lettres. »'' (“He was a gentleman and a man of letters.”)

Works

Theatre

*1788: ''Méléagre'', tragedy in 5 acts *1792: ''Clarisse Harlowe'', drama, in verse *1795: ''Le Tartufe révolutionnaire'', comedy in 5 acts, in verse *1796: ''Le Lévite d'Éphraïm'', tragedy in 3 acts *1797: ''

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans during the Trojan War. He was the son (or grandson) of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of C ...

'', tragedy in 5 acts, presented at the Théâtre de la République 5

floréal Floréal () was the eighth month in the French Republican calendar. The month was named after the Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was or ...

an V (24 April) *1797: ''La Prude'', comedy *1798: ''Ophis'', tragedy in 5 acts, presented at the Théâtre de la République 2

nivôse Nivôse (; also ''Nivose'') was the fourth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word ''nivosus'' 'snowy'. Nivôse was the first month of the winter quarter (''mois d'hiver''). It started between 21 and 23 ...

an VII *1800: '' Pinto, ou la Journée d'une conspiration'', historical comedy, created at the Théâtre de la République 1 germinal an VIII (22 March) *1803: ''Isule et Orovèse'', tragedy in 5 acts *1808: ''Baudouin, empereur'', tragedy in 3 acts *1808: ''Plaute ou la Comédie latine'', comedy in 3 acts, in verse, presented at the

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 ...

, 20 January *1809: '' Christophe Colomb'', historical comedy in 3 acts, in verse, presented at the Théâtre de S. M. l'Impératrice et Reine, 7 March *1816: ''Charlemagne'', tragedy in 5 acts, presented at the Comédie-Française, 27 June *1816: ''Le Frère et la Sœur jumeaux'', comedy in 3 acts, in verse, presented at the Théâtre de l'Odéon, 7 November *1817: ''Le Faux bonhomme'', comedy in 3 acts tombée dès le commencement du 3^e act, presented at the Théâtre français, 25 January *1817: ''Le Complot domestique, ou le Maniaque supposé'', comedy in 3 acts and in verse, presented at the Théâtre de l'Odéon, 16 June *1818: ''Ismaël au désert ou l'origine du peuple arabe'', scène orientale en vers (1801), presented at the Théâtre de l'Odéon 23 January (under the title ''Agar et Ismaël, ou l'Origine du peuple arabe'') *1820: ''La Démence de Charles VI'', tragedy in 5 acts, meant ti be presented at the Théâtre de l'Odéon 25 September *1820: ''Clovis'', tragedy in 5 acts *1821: ''Frédégonde et Brunehaut'', tragedy in 5 acts, presented at the Second Théâtre français 27 March *1821: ''Louis IX en Égypte'', tragedy in 5 acts, presented at the Second Théâtre français, 5 August *1822: ''Le Corrupteur'', comedy in 5 acts and in verse, completed 22 November, presented at the Second Théâtre-Français, 26 November *1823: ''Dame Censure, ou la Corruptrice'', tragi-comedy in 1 act and in prose *1824: ''Richard III et Jeanne Shore'', historical drama in 5 acts and in verse, imitated from Shakespeare and Rowe *1825: ''Les Martyrs de Souli, ou l'Épire moderne'', tragedy in 5 acts, inspired by the writings of

François Pouqueville François Charles Hugues Laurent Pouqueville (; 4 November 1770 – 20 December 1838) was a French diplomat, writer, explorer, physician and historian, and member of the Institut de France. He traveled extensively throughout Ottoman-occupied G ...

. *1826: ''Camille, ou le Capitole sauvé'', tragédy in 5 acts *1828: ''L'Ostracisme'', comedy * ''Richelieu ou la journée des dupes'', comedy in 5 acts, in verse *1835: ''L'Héroïne de Montpellier'', melodrama in 5 acts, presented at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin 7 November *1827: ''Les Deux filles spectres'', melodrama in 3 acts and in prose, représenté au théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin 8 Novembre *1830: ''Les serfs polonais'', melodrama in 3 acts, presented at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu 15 June.

Poems and varia

*1789: ''Épître d'un prisonnier délivré de la Bastille'' *1798: ''Les Quatre Métamorphoses'' *1800: ''Homère'', poem *1800: ''Alexandre'', poem *1801: ''Les Trois fanatiques'', poem *1802: ''Un de mes songes ou quelques vers sur Paris'' *1803: ''Les Âges français'', poème en 15 chants *1804: ''Hérologues, ou Chants des poètes rois'' *1804: ''L'Homme renouvelé'', récit moral en vers *1806: ''Traduction des Vers dorés de

Pythagoras Pythagoras of Samos (; BC) was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher, polymath, and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. His political and religious teachings were well known in Magna Graecia and influenced the philosophies of P ...

et de deux idylles de

Theocritus Theocritus (; , ''Theokritos''; ; born 300 BC, died after 260 BC) was a Greek poet from Sicily, Magna Graecia, and the creator of Ancient Greek pastoral poetry. Life Little is known of Theocritus beyond what can be inferred from his writings ...

'' *1806: ''Discours de la nature'' *1807: ''Épître à Talma'' *1808: ''Essais poétiques sur la théorie Newtonienne tirés de l'Atlantiade ..- Paris : Collin'' *1812: ''L'Atlantiade ou la théogonie newtonienne'', poème en 6 chants: Bizarre poème didactique où des divinités allégoriques représentent le calorique, l'oxygène, le phosphore, etc. *1812: ''Ode sur le doute des vrais philosophes'' *1814: ''Épître à Bonaparte sur le bonheur de la vertu'' *1814: ''Épître à Bonaparte, sur le bruit répandu qu'il projetait d'écrire des commentaires historiques'' *1815: ''Réflexions d'un Français, sur une partie factieuse de l'armée française'' *1818: ''La Mérovéide ou les champs catalauniques'', poème en 14 chants *1818: ''Du Second Théâtre-français, ou Instruction relative à la déclamation dramatique'' *1819: '' La Panhypocrisiade ou la comédie infernale du XVIe siècle'', poème en 16 chants *1819 and 1823: ''Moïse'', poem *1820: ''Cours analytique de littérature générale'', 4 vol. : collection of lessons given at the Athénée from 1811 to 1814. *1820: ''Chant pythique sur l'alliance européenne'' *1820: ''Ode à notre âge analytique'' *1823: ''Le Paysan albigeois'' *1824–1825: ''Chants héroïques des montagnards et matelots grecs'', translated into French verse * ''Ode à la mémoire du Comte de Souza'' * ''Almînti, ou le Mariage sacrilège'', physiological novel * ''Ode à l'hymen'', set in music by

Luigi Cherubini Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 SeptemberWillis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian Classical and Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethov ...

* ''Ode sur la Melpomène des Français''

References

External links

Népomucène Lemercier
on data.bnf.fr * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lemercier, Nepomucene 18th-century French poets 18th-century French male writers 19th-century French poets Writers from Paris Members of the Académie Française 18th-century French dramatists and playwrights 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights 1771 births 1840 deaths Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery