Jean Donneau de Visé et la querelle de 'Sophonisbe': Écrits contre l'abbé d'Aubignac

This work is the first critical edition of the three Défenses (Defences) of Jean Donneau de Visé, in which the young writer ardently defends Pierre Corneille against the four essays written by abbé d'Aubignac. The Défense de la Sophonisbe (Defence of Sophonisbe) and the Défense du Sertorius (Defence of Sertorius), of which several copies of the original editions are kept at the BnF (National Library of France), are reproduced without explanatory notes in the Recueil (Anthology) of Francois Granet, published in 1739. The only known copy of the original edition of the Défense d'Œdipe (Defence of Œdipe) can be found at the bibliothèque-muséee de la Comédie-Française (Library-Museum of the Comédie-Française). This work has never before been published since its first publication. The historical value of the Défenses to France's great century of theatre is indisputable. Therefore, the aim of our book is to make these writings more easily accessible and to provide explanatory notes and commentary in order to facilitate their understanding. Moreover, a better knowledge of these works contributes to our appreciation of the role of Donneau de Visé in the quarrel of Sophonisbe. The edition contains an introduction and more than 500 notes.