COLLIN  D'HARLEVILLE,

JEAN FRANCOIS (1755–1806), French dramatist, was born at Mevoisins, near Maintenon (Eure-et-Loire), on the 3oth of May 1755 . His first dramatic success was L'Inconstant, a comedy accepted by the Comedie Francaise in 1780, but not produced there until six years later, though it was played elsewhere in 1784 . This was followed by L'Optimiste, ou l'homme toujours content (1788), and Chateaux en Espagne (1789) . His best play, Le Vieux Celibataire, appeared in 1793 . Among his other plays are—the one-act comedy Monsieur de Crac clans son petit cartel (1791), Les Artistes (1796), Les Mceurs du jour (1800) and Malice pour malice (1803) . Collin was one of the original members of the Institute of France, and died in Paris on the 24th of February ,8o6 . The 1822 edition of his Theatre et poe'sies fugitives contains a notice by his friend the dramatist Andrieux . His Theatre was also edited by L . Moland in 1876; and by Edouard Thierry in 1882 .