François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif
Illustration — Portrait of Paradis de Moncrif by Maurice Quentin de La Tour François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif (1687, Paris – 19 November 1770, Paris) was a French writer and poet, of a family originally of Scots origin. He was appointed historiographer royal to King Louis XV. His parody of owlishly pedantic scholarship, Histoire des chats, and the protection of the house of Orléans gained him entry to the Académie française. Maurepas records in his memoirs that at the induction ceremony, a member let loose a cat he had secreted in his pocket: the cat miaowed, the Académiciens miaowed and the serious oration dissolved in laughter.
Also recorded as Paradis de Moncrif · Paradis
François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif

Louis-Jacques Cathelin / After Maurice Quentin de La Tour · This file comes from Gallica Digital Library and is available under the digital ID btv1b84098048 · Public domain
- Born
- 1687 · Paris.
- Died
- 1770 · Paris.
- Nationality
- Kingdom of France
- Occupation
- writer · poet · choreographer · librettist · playwright · censor
- Languages
- French
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Portrait of Paradis de Moncrif by Maurice Quentin de La Tour François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif (1687, Paris – 19 November 1770, Paris) was a French writer and poet, of a family originally of Scots origin. He was appointed historiographer royal to King Louis XV. His parody of owlishly pedantic scholarship, Histoire des chats, and the protection of the house of Orléans gained him entry to the Académie française. Maurepas records in his memoirs that at the induction ceremony, a member let loose a cat he had secreted in his pocket: the cat miaowed, the Académiciens miaowed and the serious oration dissolved in laughter.
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In this article
Works
• Les Aventures de Zeloïde et d'Amanzarifdine, contes indiens, 1715 • La Fausse magie, prose comedy in 3 acts, Comédie Italienne, 1719 • L'Oracle de Delphes, verse comedy in 3 acts, Comédie-Française, 1722; adapted from La Fontaine's Le Mari confesseur, it was interdicted at the fourth performance, its satire against paganism appearing to be applicable to the Christian religion. • Histoire des Chats: dissertation sur la prééminence des chats dans la société, sur les autres animaux d'Égypte, sur les distinctions et privilèges dont ils ont joui personnellement, 1727 • Les Abdérites, verse comedy in 1 act, 1732 • L'Empire de l'Amour, ballet en vers libres, 1733 • Essais sur la Necessité et sur les Moyens de Plaire, 1738 • Les Ames rivales, novel 1738 • Œuvres mêlées, 1743 • Zélindor, roi des Sylphes, ballet libretto, music by François Francœur and François Rebel, presented at Versailles 17 March 1745 • Poésies chrétiennes composées par ordre de la Reine, 1747 • Almasis, ballet, 1748 • Ismène, pastorale héroïque, 1748 • Observations pour servir à l'histoire des gens de lettres qui ont vécu dans ce siècle, 1751 • La Sybille, ballet music by Antoine Dauvergne presented at Versailles, 13 November 1753 • Enée et Lavinie (with Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle), lyric tragedy in 5 actst music by Antoine Dauvergne, presented at the Académie royale de musique, 14 February 1758 • Les Fêtes d'Euterpe (with Charles-Simon Favart), opera-ballet, music by Antoine Dauvergne, presented at the Académie royale de musique, 8 August 1758 • Erosine, pastorale héroïque, 1765

François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif - Versailles MV 2980
After Maurice Quentin de La Tour · photo.rmn.fr Photo (C) Château de Versailles, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Christophe Fouin

Identificatie Titel(s): Portret van François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif. Galerie françoise, ou portraits des hommes et femmes célèbres qui ont paru en France (serietitel)
Rijksmuseum
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reference work
- “François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q375270: François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif
General reference · Wikidata
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Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Alain Petiot. Paradis de Moncrif : Associé étranger de 1752 à 1770. Académie de Stanislas. 6 octobre 2025.
- 2.harvsp id=ArgensonRathery1859 texte=R. L. de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson et E.-J.-B. Rathery, Journal et mémoires du Marquis d'Argenson p=59-64 .
- 3.Auteur : François-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif. Babelio.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Journal et mémoires du Marquis d'Argenson. Chez Jules Renouard. 9. 1859. 489893580.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,582 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- François VillonAuthor
- François-Antoine DevauxAuthor
- François-Auguste Fauveau de FrénillyAuthor
- François-Auguste-René de ChateaubriandAuthor
- François-Benoît HoffmanAuthor
- François-Jean Willemain d'AbancourtAuthor
- François-Joachim de Pierre de BernisAuthor
- François-Joseph Bérardier de BatautAuthor
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