The Reine des Sylphes (queen of the Sylphs) declares her love to Polichinelle. The latter is taken into her palace in the air and praised by a Suivante (lady-in-waiting), a Comédien (comedian), a Poète (poet) and a Musicien (musician). Each provides opportunities to mock Parisian people’s immorality and idiosyncrasies. The Reine joins Polichinelle: together, they attend a divertissement danced by the Sylphes (Sylphs), and the final vaudeville.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

France

Paris

Printed

Germanic mythology

Fairy

Parisian life

Immorality

Unfaithfulness

Love

Life of the theatres

Fantasy

Comical

Satirical

Manuscrit of Polichinelle roi des Sylphes (BnF, Ms Fr 9312).

French

Polichinelle

Queen

Lady-in-waiting

Actor

Poet

Musician

Sylph

Invisible character

Off-stage voice

Dancing entertainment

Final song

Play with drawers

Aria

Polichinelle roi des Sylphes

Polichinelle king of the Sylphs

A Marchande (female merchant), in love with an employee of the shop (the Courtaud (Shorty)), believes that he is interested in her daughter. A Servante (female servant) arouses the jealousy of a Laquais (male servant). A drunk Musicien (male Musician) tells a Suisse (Swiss man) that his wife is unfaithful to him. Polichinelle tries to seduce a Grisette (Shop girl), meets a Peintre (male painter) who wanted to paint his portrait, and then joins a Troupe de Buveurs (a Group of Drinkers): they dance a divertissement and sing a vaudeville at the end of the play.

Seduction

Drunkenness

Wine

Cabaret

Valet

First page of the manuscript of Polichinelle à la guinguette de Vaugirard.

Merchant (woman)

Shop employee

Maid

Swiss

Grisette

Painter

Inn scene

Comical foreign accent

Love story

Conversation

Polichinelle à la guinguette de Vaugirard

Polichinelle at the guinguette of Vaugirard

Pierrot has just arrived in the Underworld after being hanged. Pluton (Pluto) tasks him with judging newcomers. Pythagore (Pythagoras), a Poète (Poet), a Financier, a Coquette, an Actrice d’Opéra (Opera Actress) and a Médecin (Doctor) go before him. Each is put in an unexpected group (the comedians for Pythagore, the false witnesses for the Poète, the coach drivers for the financier, etc.).

Printed summary

Hell

Judge

Judgment

Rivalry of theatres

Swindling

Medicine

Manuscrit of Pierrot arbitre (BnF, Ms Fr 9313).

Pierrot

Pluto

Pythagoras

Financier

Coquette

Actress

Physician

Surprise effect

Pierrot arbitre

Pierrot arbitrator

At the Foire Saint-Laurent, Polichinelle is conversing with a Poète (Poet), Monsieur de la Rimaille (Mister of the Doggerel), about how low the pay for writers is. A Chanteuse (Female singer) offers to join Polichinelle’s troupe, but she changes her mind when she learns that singers are hidden behind a piece of cloth in puppet theatres. A Marchand (Merchant) is looking for his wife, who is being unfaithful to him with a shop boy; a Petite Fille (Young Girl) is looking for her mother, who left her for a young man; this young girl herself goes to see a “petit jeune homme” (a little young man) whom she is acquainted with. Gros Thomas (Fat Thomas), a famous barker and tooth puller, arrives.

Money

Playwright

Precocity

Barker

Les Aventures de la Foire Saint-Laurent, manuscript of the play.

Singer (female)

Merchant (man)

Young girl

Gros Thomas

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Les Aventures de la Foire Saint-Laurent

Adventures in the Foire Saint-Laurent

Polichinelle, the personification of puppet theatre, is visited first by the Opéra (Paris Opera), then by the Comédie-Française, followed by the Comédie-Italienne and finally the Opéra-Comique, which is accompanied by a Harengère (Fishwife) and a Charbonnier (Coal merchant).

Carolet Denis

Denis Carolet, Polichinelle censeur des théâtres, manuscript, Soleinne collection