Charles Palissot de Montenoy

Charles Palissot de Montenoy (3 January 1730 – 15 June 1814) was an 18th-century French playwright, admirer and disciple of Voltaire and Antoine de Rivarol. Paradoxically, he was often denounced as a Counter-Enlightenment opponent to the parti philosophique, especially for his criticism of Diderot and the Encyclopédistes. He is the author of the comedy, Les Philosophes, which was a huge success and caused a scandal in 1760.

Works Palissot's works were collected in three more or less complete editions: one published in Liege in 1777 at Plomteux, 6 vol. in-8° to which a seventh volume was added in 1779 with the publication of the second edition; the third by the printingpress of Monsieur, in 1788, 4 volumes in-8°; the last one published under the eyes of the author, in Paris, Chez Collin 1809, 6 volumes. in-8°.

The chronological list below provides links to the Gallica basis of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France when the book is available in this database:

1748: Pharaon, tragedy in 5 acts and in verse, non performed. 1751: Zarès, tragedy in 5 acts and in verse, premiered at the Comédie-Française, 3 June (later renamed Ninus second) 1753–1756: Histoire des rois de Rome. 1754: Les Tuteurs, comedy in 2 acts and in verse, premiered at the Comédie-Française, 5 August. 1755: Le Cercle ou Les Originaux, comedy, premiered in the nouveau théâtre de Nancy, 26 November 1757: Petites lettres sur de grands philosophes. 1758: Le Barbier de Bagdad, comedy presented in the author's theatre in Argenteuil. 1760: Les Philosophe, comedy in 3 acts and in verse, premiered at the Comédie-Française, 2 May. 1762: Les Nouveaux Ménechmes, comedy in 5 acts in verse, (other titles: Le Rival par ressemblance; Clerval et Cléon; Les Méprises) 1764: La Dunciade française ou la Guerre des sots, satirical poem in three chants (later extended to 10 chants). 1770: Le Satirique ou l'Homme dangereux, comedy in 3 acts and in verse, given on the author's theatre in Argenteuil. 1775: Les Courtisanes ou l'École des mœurs, comedy in 3 acts and in verse. 1778: Éloge de Voltaire. 1771: Mémoires pour servir à l’histoire de la littérature depuis François Ier jusqu'à nos jours, 2 vol. (numerous reprints: 1775, 1803...) 1791: Questions importantes sur quelques opinions religieuses, (reprints: 1793, 1797) 1806: Le Génie de Voltaire apprécié dans tous ses ouvrages.