The Little French Lawyer: A Comedy

In Short

Set in France, this drama follows a tangled web of aristocratic lovers, jealous husbands, and a bumbling, litigious lawyer named La-writ. When a young gentleman is spurned by a woman who marries an older, wealthier man, his attempt to avenge his wounded pride sparks a cycle of duels and kidnappings. The play uses these volatile entanglements to satirize the culture of private fighting, ultimately resolving its central tensions through a mix of clever manipulation and the sobering, humbling realities of physical violence.

The Story

The narrative begins with Dinant, a gentleman whose romantic pursuit of the high-born Lamira ends in disappointment when she marries the wealthy, elderly Champernell. Consumed by resentment, Dinant and his friend Cleremont confront the couple and Lamira’s father, Vertaign, with stinging accusations of greed and social betrayal. This public affront sets a duel in motion between the lovers and Lamira’s male relatives. However, Lamira, hoping to protect her family’s reputation and her own peace, orchestrates a plot to force a reconciliation or at least delay the bloodshed. She recruits Dinant for a secret meeting, intending to test his character and prove that his "love" is merely an ego-driven desire to possess a prize.

As the men prepare to fight, they inadvertently cross paths with La-writ, a litigious, self-important lawyer who knows nothing of swordsmanship. Through a series of farcical manipulations, Cleremont forces La-writ to act as a second in the duel. The situation escalates when the gentlemen are waylaid by a group of outlaws and thrown into a remote, cavernous prison. Here, the power dynamic shifts entirely. The women are also captured and held under threat, forcing the men to abandon their posturing and confront the vulnerability of those they claim to protect.

While imprisoned, Dinant finally finds the humility to tell the story of his love with such raw sincerity that it moves the very outlaws holding them captive to pity. The outlaws, touched by the narrative, release their prisoners and leave the territory. Upon their liberation, the men return to civilization, their previous grievances tempered by the brush with death. Meanwhile, La-writ, having been thoroughly thrashed and humiliated during his time in the woods, undergoes a complete transformation. He abandons his dreams of martial glory and returns to his practice, warning others against the vanity of the sword. The play concludes with the aristocratic characters reconciling, their previous obsessions with dueling and reputation replaced by a more pragmatic understanding of their fortunes.

How It Unfolds

The challenge to honor Dinant refuses to let his spurned affection go, instigating a public confrontation that forces his rivals into a cycle of planned duels. His friend Cleremont tries to counsel moderation, arguing that private fighting is a base waste of noble blood, but the social pressure to defend one's name overrides all reason.

The test of character Lamira manipulates Dinant into a private encounter, intending to expose his lack of true virtue by revealing his willingness to compromise her honor for his own satisfaction. She effectively challenges his self-image, proving that he is more interested in the conquest than the woman herself.

The farcical intervention Cleremont drags the reluctant advocate La-writ into the fray, forcing the cowardly lawyer to play the part of a valiant second. This beat highlights the absurdity of the period’s dueling culture, as the lawyer is more concerned with his legal documents than his life.

The turn of fortune The characters are captured by outlaws and stripped of their influence, effectively leveling the playing field. In this desperate state, the men are forced to rely on rhetoric and empathy rather than swords to survive, leading to their eventual release.

The final reckoning The survivors return, forever changed by their experience. La-writ returns to his law books, while the gentlemen put aside their vendettas, having realized that their previous behaviors were a "fearful dream" best forgotten.

The People

Dinant is the catalyst for the conflict, a man driven by wounded pride who believes his suffering justifies his aggression. He ends the play having been humbled by his own failures and the realization that his pursuit of Lamira was fundamentally selfish.

Lamira acts as the narrative’s moral compass, though one who is not afraid to use deception to achieve peace. She navigates the constraints placed upon her by her marriage to Champernell and the expectations of her family with surprising agency.

Cleremont serves as the cynical yet loyal friend, whose sardonic view of social codes provides the play's wit. He is the primary architect of the chaos involving La-writ, and he ultimately matures by seeing the folly of the "sport" he initially encouraged.

Monsieur La-writ is the comedic heart of the play. A lawyer who tries to force his way into a world of physical dominance, he serves as a mirror for the absurdity of the other characters. His journey from an arrogant, litigious fool to a man who recognizes the value of "discreet" living is the play’s most satisfying transformation.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the self-destructive nature of the era's obsession with private violence, Cleremont laments the loss of young men to petty squabbles:

"The blood of our bold youth, that heretofore was spent in honourable action, or to defend, or to enlarge the Kingdom, pours it self out with prodigal expence upon our Mothers lap, the Earth that bred us for every trifle."

When Lamira finally confronts Dinant about the selfishness of his pursuit, she cuts through his excuses:

"But it was your villany made you pursue it; I drew you but to try how much a man, and nobly thou durst stand, how well you had deserv'd the name of vertuous."

What It's Really About

At its core, the play is a critique of performative masculinity. It questions whether the "honor" defended on the dueling ground is anything more than a fragile social construct that ignores the genuine well-being of others. By forcing characters to move between the high-stakes world of aristocratic honor and the desperate reality of the outlaw’s cave, the play argues that true nobility is found in empathy and restraint rather than in the display of physical courage. It also explores the tension between duty to one’s family and the pursuit of individual desire, suggesting that when private ego is placed above social and moral obligation, the result is inevitably a "shitten" and "deboshed" state of affairs for everyone involved.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the sharp, witty, and often cynical dialogue of the Jacobean era will find much to admire here. The play moves with a kinetic energy, constantly shifting from intense, high-minded arguments to low-brow, physical comedy. It is a rewarding look at the social pressures of the period, particularly regarding how men and women were expected to navigate public reputation versus private reality.

However, the reader should be prepared for the dense, period-specific language and the occasional reliance on archaic idioms. The play does not shy away from the harsh, patriarchal attitudes of its time, and modern readers may find the initial treatment of female characters—and the characters' own complicity in those roles—challenging to reconcile. Yet, for those interested in the evolution of comedy, the play remains a fascinating study of how satire can be used to dismantle rigid social hierarchies. The character of La-writ, in particular, feels remarkably modern in his transition from a bureaucratic bully to a man who finally values his own skin over the artificial demands of his "profession." It is a play that demands a bit of patience, but it rewards that effort with a profound, often hilarious, and surprisingly grounded look at human folly.