Drummond of Hawthornden: The Season at Bourges, 1607

Authors

Robert H. MacDonald, Carleton University, Ottawa

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:

In 1607 the Scottish poet William Drummond of Hawthomden was in France; like many of his fellow-countrymen he had gone there to attend a university. Drummond's subject was law and his university was Bourges, but his interests in things other than his chosen profession led him to the playhouse. With industry but a certain naivety he recorded what he saw in great detail: more than twenty productions - tragedies, tragicomedies, comedies and some farces--put on over several weeks. His notes have survived;l they are closely written and at times illegible, but though we might on first sight be tempted to pass them by, they are of much interest, for they add to our knowledge of the French theatre of the early seventeenth century. They are in fact a unique record of the repertory of the most important troupe of the time, and as such, they are quite without rival either in detail or completeness. They handsomely fill a gap in French theatrical history.

Recommended Citation

MacDonald, Robert H. (1970) "Drummond of Hawthornden: The Season at Bourges, 1607," Comparative Drama: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol4/iss2/2