Alphonse DAUDET (1840-1897) Autograph manuscript, La dernière Idole, [1861]; oblong notebook in-4 (20 x 26 cm). Working manuscript of one of Daudet's earliest works. This one-act drama, in collaboration with Ernest L'Épine (1826- 1893), was successfully premiered at the Odéon on February 4, 1862 by Hippolyte Tisserant and Rosélia Rousseil. The play was written at the beginning of July 1861. According to J.-H. Bornecque, the part of L'Épine "remains rather thin [...] he played especially a role of stage manager and guarantor". The manuscript, on lined paper, is incomplete of the last two scenes (V and VI). It is written in a small, tight handwriting and presents numerous erasures and corrections, and variants with the final text. The subtitle "comedy" has been crossed out and replaced by "drama". Indications about the characters will be modified or deleted in the edition: Ambroix "70 years old, still green for his age", Mrs. Ambroix "45 years old. Still beautiful, although greying". Some small marginal remarks seem to correspond to the participation of L'Épine: "all this tirade can be removed if the scene is too long"; "Finally of what did he die? the continuation must tell me"...