Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1783-08-16
Dined at Mr. Brantsen's;1 the Dutch
Ambassadors, with a great deal of Company. In the evening I went to the French Comedy; the
pieces represented were Rhadamiste et Zenobie a Tragedy by
Crebillon2 and Le
Français a Londres. The author of the Tragedy is regarded as one of the best dramatick
poets of France. His Tragedies are all very deep, indeed, they are so much so, that several
of them miscarried at their first Representation, on that account. The French in general are
not Lovers of Tragedy, and it is but lately, that they can bear any, which finishes with the
Death of the Hero. The Denouement of this piece is a King, who
discovers he has killed his own Son without knowing him. Rhadamistus is sent to the King of
Iberia, as Ambassador from Rome, to complain to him; for his arming his People, and to tell
him they suspect him. In the midst of his discourse to the King he says.
When the actor pronounced those verses, they rose an universal applause; which lasted for some minutes.
Gerard Brantsen, Dutch minister plenipotentiary to Paris, 1782–1787, who was appointed
ambassador extraordinary plenipotentiary in 1782 to negotiate the terms of peace with Great
Britain (
Repertorium der
diplomatischen Vertreter aller Länder
, p. 263; Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer.
Rev.
, 5:665).
Rhadamiste et Zénobie, Paris, 1711, was the chief work of
Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (Brenner, Bibliographical List
).
Act II, scene ii, lines 7–8 (Crébillon, Oeuvres. Nouvelle édition
. . ., 3 vols., Paris, 1772, 2:31, in JA's library at MB).