The MS forms part of a set of two recueils compiled by François-Louis Jamet between 1736 and 1740. The MS is found in Volume II, with the volume being titled ‘Stromates ou Miscellanea ou Chaos’.

L’enfant prodigue opened at the Comédie française on 10 October 1736. Lekain took on the role of Euphémon on 24 September 1750 and performed it three times between 1752 and 1756.

Lekain produced his copy of the role of Zamore when the play began at the Comédie-Française in 1750. Lekain performed the role 51 times between 1751 and 1775. The manuscript offers variants for Act II, l.3, 12, 17, 30, 66, 97, 111, 154, 168, 176, 194, 206, 226, 266, 274, 287, 288; Act III, l.84-85, 114, 247-250; Act IV, l.168-169; Act V, l.75, 162, 171, 202-204, and 256.

This MS copy follows the text of the print edition exactly. It is a clean copy without corrections.

Several people, including Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] have corrected the MS, suggesting that it was a much-used prompt copy. There are errors in pagination throughout.

It is likely that this was a prompt copy used at the Comédie-Française. The play was first performance at the Comédie-Française at the ‘Jeu de Paume de l’Etoile’ on Monday 18 January 1734.

The second leaf of this copy is in a different hand to the rest of the MS, suggesting that it may have been taken from another MS copy. The list of ‘Acteurs’ has been annotated by Lekain with the names of the actors who took part in the later 1765 production of the play. There are also several variants throughout the MS that demonstrate the play’s development between 1734 and 1765, with their place within the text being clearly marked. It is likely that the copy was used by the Comédie-Française and its actors, including Lekain.

The copy contains several variants. These may represent either a corruption of Voltaire’s text or an (unauthorised) evolution of the work.

This MS is a prompt-copy of the play, likely written in the hand of Jean Baptiste Minet, the escrivain of the company. It is likely that Minet made his copy from one produced by Voltaire. It is arranged as follows:

• p.1: Acteurs
• p.2: Title
• p.3-18: Act One (p.13 blank)
• p.19-36: Act Two
• p.37-52: Act Three
• p.53-70: Act Four
• p.71-83: Act Five
• p.84: Blank
• p.85: List of Actors
• p.86-87: Pencilled list of some of the actors appearing in some of the scenes of the play
• [p.88]: Blank