Note 57 — BOOK V[1]
Alexander Teixeira de Mattos translation
Jean Francois Ducis (1733-1816), the tragic poet, author of Œdipe chez Admète, imitated from Sophocles and Euripides, and of imitations of many of Shakespeare's tragedies. His only original play was Abufar, ou La Famille arabe, which obtained a great success. He received Voltaire's seat in the Academy in 1778. Ducis refused the many advantages offered him by Bonaparte, preferring to live in poor and honourable retirement.—T.