Palyart/Paliart volumes of verse, dramas, and songs, bound manuscript, 2 volumes, France, mid- to late-18th century

A collection of apparently self-penned dramas, verses, and songs compiled circa 1762-1793 by a member of a French priory in Wariville (near Beauvais), France, for her niece, Madame de (Letourneur) Palyart/Paliart of Amiens (both spellings are present).
Abridged from the dealer description: the pieces were recorded for use by the nuns and pensionnaires on feast days, holidays, and other special occasions, and are designed or adapted for a primarily female cast and audience. The volumes therefore provide an unusually vivid view into a generally unrecorded aspect of female experience of late ancient régime France. Though institutional and religious, they are hardly prim but rather lively, witty, fashionable, and intimate, and the volumes contain contextual information and incidental details of local people, events, and places.
More specific information on the contents is available in the dealer description.