The concept of a florilège, or anthology, has a long tradition in French literature, particularly in the domain of the conte galant, the witty and often lightly erotic short story that flourished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This florilège of galant stories is more than a mere collection; it offers a curated selection that brings together exemplary tales, highlighting the elegance, charm and refined sensuality characteristic of the genre. By presenting a spectrum of authors and narrative styles, it allows the reader to experience the whole range of tonalities within the genre, from playful irony to subtle moral reflection, from pastoral fantasy to sophisticated urban intrigue.
This anthology is particularly valuable because it gathers together so many of the classic stories of the genre. For French readers it is among the most representative and accessible collections of its kind, and copies are not difficult to find at a reasonable price. Works by authors including Denis Diderot, Jacques Cazotte, Voltaire and Crébillon fils are brought together in a pair of attractive volumes, allowing modern readers and scholars to access a representative cross-section of the form. For anyone interested in the literary culture of the ancien régime or the evolution of French short narrative, this anthology offers both a convenient reference and an accessible introduction to a rich and nuanced tradition.
The anthology is much enhanced by some of Adrien Bagarry’s best illustrative work, which is also – and appropriately – rather less ‘safe’ and more risqué than similar illustrated anthologies. His quality of line and composition, his wit, and his ability to illustrate, sometimes quite explicitly, the sexual play implicit in the texts without ever straying into overemphasis, are all the signs of an experienced and imaginative hand.
Florilège des conteurs galants contains these eighteen stories:
L’Oiseau blanc, conte bleu (The White Bird, A Blue Tale)
Denis Diderot
A playful, ironic story using fantasy and erotic suggestion to explore desire and illusion.
Histoire de Guillaume, cocher (The Story of Guillaume the Coachman)
Comte de Caylus
A picaresque anecdote following a coachman’s amorous and social adventures in a light satirical vein.
Nocrion, conte allobroge (Nocrion, an Allobrogian Tale)
Cardinal de Bernis
A mock-exotic tale that blends pastoral fantasy with courtly intrigue and sentimental reflection.
Aline, reine de Golconde (Aline, Queen of Golconda)
Chevalier de Boufflers
An oriental romance in which a queen’s emotional trials expose tensions between love, power, and fidelity.
La Belle par accident, conte de fée (Beauty by Accident, a Fairy Tale)
Jacques Cazotte
A whimsical fairy tale in which chance transformations complicate identity and attraction.
La jolie mercière (The Pretty Haberdasher)
Restif de la Bretonne
A sensuous yet morally inflected sketch of a young shopwoman navigating desire and social constraint.
Tant mieux pour elle, conte plaisant (So Much the Better for Her, an Amusing Tale)
Abbé de Voisenon
A light, ironic tale where a woman’s fortunes improve through unexpected turns of libertine logic.
Le Siège d’Ypres (The Siege of Ypres)
Claude Godard d’Aucour
A mock-heroic narrative juxtaposing military action with gallant and erotic intrigue.
Cosi-sancta, nouvelle africaine (Cosi-Sancta, an African Tale)
Voltaire
A satirical tale using an exotic setting and sexual politics to critique religious and moral hypocrisy.
Le crocheteur borgne (The One-Eyed Porter)
Voltaire
A sharply ironic story exposing human folly through a grotesque yet comic figure.
Trufaldin
Pigault-Lebrun
A lively comic tale centred on trickery, appetite, and social satire.
Acajou et Zirphile (Acajou and Zirphile)
Charles Pinot Duclos
A fantastical tale mixing fairy-tale motifs with playful erotic allegory.
Lettre d’Érosie à Juliette (A Letter from Érosie to Juliette)
Andrea de Nerciat
An epistolary piece expressing libertine philosophy through intimate, erotic correspondence.
L’Éducation d’Angola (The Education of Angola)
Chevalier de La Morlière
A libertine initiation narrative charting the sensual and moral formation of a young protagonist.
Histoire de Babet (The Story of Babet)
Abbé du Laurens
A sentimental yet risqué tale of a young woman’s experiences in love, society, and misfortune.
Le mouvement perpétuel (Perpetual Motion)
Sylvain Maréchal
A satirical sketch using the metaphor of endless motion to comment on human desire and folly.
Chonchette et Minette (Chonchette and Minette)
Crébillon fils
A witty, erotic tale exploring seduction and the playful strategies of love.
Point de lendemain, ou la nuit merveilleuse (No Tomorrow, or The Wondrous Night)
Vivant Denon
A celebrated libertine story in which a single night’s seduction becomes a meditation on pleasure and ephemerality.
The Bagarry illustrated Florilège des conteurs galants was published in two volumes by Librairie de France, Paris, in a limited numbered edition of 3,100 copies.
