R_x0001_dipus was written when Voltaire was but nineteen years of age. It was played for the first time in 1718 and ran for forty-five nights. Du Fresne a celebrated actor and of the same age as the author played the part of R_x0001_dipus; and Madame Desmarets a famous actress did Jocaste and soon after quitted the stage. In this edition the part of Philoctetes is restored and stands exactly as it was in the first representation.