MOLIERE Jean-Baptiste Poquelin dit Le Divertissement royal, meslé de comédie, de musique, & d’entrée de ballet.

Tchemerzine-Scheler, IV, 812:b; Guibert, 524:2  Lacroix, 199, note; La Vallière, Ballets, p. 84; Malkin, Dancing by the Book, 107.19; not in Brunet.

Edition published in the year of the first (43pp.) – of the latter there seems to exist only one surviving copy. Guibert indicates to never having seen a copy of the first edition (43pp) "nous n'avons pas vue l'exemplaire, il ne figure d'ailleurs dans aucune des bibliothèques publiques".

This edition corresponds to a new representation to which the printer Ballard has added the names of the performing artists. It contains the Amants magnifiques of which the idea has supposedly been suggested to Molière by the King himself. The decoration of the scenes must have been magnificent, according to the description given at the beginning of the ballet: "Huit pêcheurs sortent du fond de la mer avec des nacres de perles, & des branches de corail" [Eight fishermen emergent out of the sea carrying mother of pearl and pearls, as well as branches of corals].

"First performed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye as part of Les Amants magnifiques, with music by Lully" (Malkin).

The King incarnated successively the Gods Neptune, Apollo, and finally the Sun. Very good copy of this rare edition.