Denis Diderot (1713-1784) mostly wrote essays (beside his "Dictionnaire"), in which he ventilated his ideas about the ideal society. In one of them, a satire, "Le neveu de Rameau" ("Rameau's nephew"), written between 1762 and 1765, he described Parisian draughts players. The satire has the form of a dialogue. I translate a passage from the French (edition A. Adam, Paris 1967:32). Diderot conveyed a conversation between the writer and a nephew of Rameau, in the meeting place of Parisian chess players, Café de la Régence. Jean Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) was a French composer and music theoretician, working in the traditional French style. Halfway through the 18th c. however, the French public conceived a preference for Italian comic opera's, incited by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau and his friends even went so far to ridicule Rameau. Diderot was a kindred soul of Rousseau and it is to be expected that he did not consider Rameau as a great light. Our expectations are redeemed: Rameau's nephew called music a waist of time without any economic value. The writer sat at a table in the café, when the nephew approached him.

Portrait of Denis Diderot by Louis-Michel van Loo, 1767

Nephew. Aha, look, our philosopher. What are you doing in the midst of all those layabouts? Are you spending your precious time by moving wooden pieces? For this is how chess and draughts are called by people who look down their nose at games.

Writer. Nothing doing! But when I have some free time I like looking at players who are able to move the figures so skilfully.

Nephew. Well, you must be bored stiff. Légal and Philidor are good players, but I cannot mention a third name.

Writer. You forget Bissy.

Nephew. You are right. Bissy means for chess what Miss Clairon means for the stage. What they don't know is not worth knowing. [Claire Clairon was a famous actress of the Comédie Française, excelling in the tragedies of Voltaire].

Writer. Your have an excellent taste, only singing the praise of people earning this.

Nephew. We find mediocrity everywhere, in chess, draughts, poetry, eloquence, music and other matters without economic benefit. Mediocrity is the rule.

Writer. I absolutely agree with you.