DESFORGES, PIERRE JEAN BAPTISTE CHOU DARD (1746-1806), French dramatist and man of letters, nat ural son of Dr. Antoine Petit, was born in Paris on Sept. 15, 1746, and educated at the College Mazarin and the College de Beauvais. After appearing on the stage of the Comedie Italienne in Paris he joined a troupe of wandering actors, whom he served in the capacity of playwright. He married an actress, and the two spent !, three years in St. Petersburg, where they were well received. In 1782 he produced at the Comedic Italienne an adaptation of Fielding's novel with the title Tom Jones a Londres. His first great success was achieved with L'Epreuve villageoise (1785) to the music of Gretry. La Femme jalouse, a five-act comedy in verse (1785), Joconde (1790) for the music of Louis Jaden, Les Epoux divorces (1799), a comedy, and other pieces followed. He has left a record of his own early indiscretions in Le Poete, ou memoires d'un homme de lettres ecrits par lui-meme (4 vols., 1798). He died in Paris on Aug. 13, 1806.