The play draws inspiration from rumoured miracles attributed to Saint André (Saint Andrew) in Jacques de Voragine’s La Légende Dorée (The Golden Legend). Although several saints and even a pope were named Simplicius, none preached in Patras or in the East: these local colours were added by Maurice Bouchor.

Writer Félix Rabbe, who also translated Shelley, Poe and Marlowe, performed the voice of Simplicius for the shows at the Petit-Théâtre des Marionnettes de la Galerie Vivienne in Paris. Maurice Bouchor’s Le Songe de Khèyam and Amédée Pigeon’s L’Amour dans les Enfers were performed on the same night.

The bishop Simplicius invites Chrysogonus, the nephew of the governor of Patras, for lunch. A gorgeous young woman, Luce, appears to him and asks for his protection: she has vowed to remain a virgin and fled from her father, who wanted to force her to marry. She is alone for a short while, and she reveals that she is Lucifer. Simplicius is flustered: he invites Luce to have lunch with them, and falls in love with her. He appeals to the apostle saint André (Saint Andrew) to stop him from giving in to temptation. Le Pauvre (Poor Man) appears and asks to have lunch with them. Luce agrees to let him, if he can answer three riddles. Le Pauvre answers and reveals that she is Lucifer, and that he is Saint André. While Lucifer disappears in Hell, Saint André sits down to eat with Simplicius and Chrysogonus.