DUMAS (Alexandre) - GAILLARDET (Frédéric). The Tower of Nesles. Drama in five acts and nine tableaux. Paris : J. N. Barba, 1832. - In-8, 216 x 134 : (4 ff.), 98 pp. and (1 f.), printed cover. Paperback, later folder and slipcase. First edition of this prose drama first performed at the Porte Saint-Martin theatre on May 29, 1832. It is one of the first romantic dramas after the triumph of Victor Hugo's Hernani in 1830. precious copy including on the false title this autograph sending signed by Alexandre Dumas: à mon bon Camarade // Verteuil // Al. DumasThe history of this play had many twists and turns and its authors were sued 6 times because of it, for different and sometimes contradictory reasons . One of the cases concerned the authorship of the work and Jules Verteuil, who was then secretary to M. Harel, director of the Porte Saint-Martin theatre, supported Alexandre Dumas, certifying that he had fetched the five acts of the play from the latter as they were written and had copied them entirely from the original manuscript, which was totally different from that of Gaillardet. This copy comes from the collection of René Rouzard (1905-1976), a famous lyricist who wrote for Édith Piaf, Léo Ferré, Maurice Chevalier, Yves Montand, Dalida and Claude François. Jacques Crépineau enriched it with two colour portraits representing Mlle Georges and de Bocage in the roles they played in the play at the time of its creation in 1832, and with a L.A.S. from Frédéric Gaillardet, to M. Mocquart, head of the Emperor's cabinet, 31 July 1857, 1 page 3/4 in-8, with a draft reply in pencil from M. Mocquard on the 3rd page. Cover restored. Provenance: René Rouzard, with bookplate with his initials and the motto "La Goualante". Attached : - DUMAS (Alexandre) - MAQUET (Auguste). La Jeunesse des mousquetaires. [Paris: Dufour et Mulat, 1849]. - Followed by]: DUMAS (Alexandre) - GAILLARDET (Frédéric). La Tour de Nesle, drama in five acts and nine tableaux. S.l. s.d. - And of]: BENJAMIN - SAINT-AMANT - PAULYANTHE. L'Auberge des Adrets, a drama in three acts, in spectacl. Music by M. Adrien; Ballets by M. Maximien; decorations by Messrs Joannis and Défontaines. S.l. s.d. - 3 works in one volume in-8, burgundy half-maroquin with long grain, smooth spine decorated, gilt head, not trimmed (Ad. Lavaux). A collection of 3 plays. The first one is in the original edition but incomplete of the false title, the title and the distribution leaf, and the two others are extracted from collections. This copy is enriched with the engraving by Célestin Nanteuil used as a cover for the edition of the Œuvres complètes de Dumas, pasted on strong paper, a portrait of Dumas, engraved by J. Hanriot, in black before the letter, a portrait of Richelieu and Louis XIII engraved by Bourgeois, and a full-length portrait in colour of Mélingue in the role of D'Artagnan, extracted from the Galerie dramatique, these last three figures illustrating the first play. The second is enriched with a beautiful colour engraving representing the Tower of Nesle, drawn and engraved by the Rouargue brothers, as well as a lithographed portrait of Mademoiselle Georges and Bocage, two of the actors who performed in the play in 1832. L'Auberge des Adrets is enriched with a colour portrait of the character of Robert Macaire by Gavarni and 2 colour lithographs by Daumier from the Robert-Macaire series, format in-8 .