BOURSAULT Edme Le Médecin volant, comédie.

First edition.

Edme Boursault (1638-1701) was a contemporary of Molière, and it was his troupe that performed Le Médecin volant in 1660. 

Like Molière, he devoted himself to the genre of comedy, inspired by the Italian and Spanish plays of his time. Le Médecin volant is based on a burlesque comedy full of facetiousness. Disguise is the mainstay of the farce, and the plot is built around it. To further his master’s love affairs, the valet Crépin disguises himself as a doctor. The matrimonial intrigue quickly takes a back seat to the importance of the amusing impostures. A false conflict erupts between the doctor Crépin and his so-called brother, the valet, who are in reality one and the same character. The comedy lies in an accumulation of comic scenes designed to entertain. 

The influence of Spanish comedy can be seen in the place given to the valet. Throughout the play, Crépin is the driving force behind the action. He defends his master but is also the main character. It is also the denouement of the intrigue that unites master and servant that is a salient feature of Spanish comedia.

Extremely rare, only one known institutional copy, in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. 

Small stain on the upper cover, otherwise a very good copy.