Pierre-Augustin Caron de BEAUMARCHAIS

Illustrated edition with 62 original compositions by Daniel Vierge, one of 278 numbered copies on handmade laid paper.
Front cover slightly and marginally shaded, minor spotting without consequence on the final endpaper, handsome interior condition.

Popular illustrated edition bringing together 14 titles and more, from the Romans populaires illustrés collection. Drawings by Johannot, Beaucé, Staal, Bertall, Baron... It includes the rare title The Monk by Lewis.
Contents: Valérie by Madame de Krudener. Manon Lescaut by Prévost d'Exiles. Le talisman du coeur by Louis Lurine. La peine du talion by Jules Lacroix. Le règne de Satan by Benjamin Gastineau. Riche et pauvre by Emile Souvestre. Télémaque by Fénelon. Mes prisons by Pellico. La princesse de Montpensier by Madame de Lafayette. Les contes de l'atelier by Michel Masson. Le vicaire de Wakefield by Goldsmith. Simple histoire by Inchbald. 3 plays by Beaumarchais. Printed in 2 columns. A half-title of the Romans populaires illustrés has been bound at the beginning of the work with a table of contents that does not correspond at all to the titles in the volume.
Contemporary half black shagreen binding. Smooth spine decorated with a large romantic ornament and a roll at head and foot. One split at head. Rubbing to edges and headcaps, but good copy, particularly fresh, on crisp white paper, free from foxing.
These popular editions are rare in good condition, and very desirable for the quality of their illustrations. They form a too-forgotten history of romantic publishing.

Collection of 4 memoirs and two documents from the legal case that opposed Beaumarchais to Judge Goezman.
Details:
Memoire à consulter, pour Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Imprimerie de Valleyre. 1773. Paris.
Supplément au mémoire à consulter. Imprimerie de Quillau. 1773. Paris.
Addition au supplément du mémoire à consulter. Imprimerie de Clousier. Paris.
Requête d'attenuation pour le Sr Caron de Beaumarchais. Imprimerie de Knapen. 1773. Paris.
Quatrième mémoire à consulter. Imprimerie de Clousier. 1774. Paris.
Arrest de la cour du Parlement du 26 février 1774. Chez P.G. Simon. 1774. Paris.
Early 20th-century half vellum binding. Smooth spine with handwritten title. Marbled paper boards. Some manuscript notes in margins of certain leaves. Foxing and marginal dampstaining to right corner of the Addition au supplément... Overall paper more or less yellowed.
From 1773 to 1774, Beaumarchais published 4 memoirs in which he dramatized his legal adventure (one can see that he had chosen to represent himself). These 4 memoirs, which blend dialogues and interrogations, entertained all of Paris, even Madame Du Barry, and were performed everywhere in cafés and on the boulevards, as they constitute a formidable comedy in which lies are ultimately revealed. Beaumarchais was indeed acquitted in the case that opposed him to Judge Goezman; the latter was the reporting judge in his trial regarding the Paris-Duverney inheritance which ruined and dishonored the author. Beaumarchais accused Goezman of corruption and the judge in turn accused Beaumarchais of defamation and attempted corruption.
Judge Goezman constitutes above all a symbol of the corruption of the new Parliament erected by Louis XV, and of the arbitrariness of justice.

New edition for the Siège de Calais, first edition for the two other texts. The five figures mentioned by some bibliographers seem to be lacking in Eugénie.
Full speckled blonde sheep binding. Smooth spine decorated with gilt compartments and fleurons, as well as a blonde sheep title label. All edges red. Top of spine slightly split, title label partially missing. Surface wear and lacks to boards. Corners slightly bumped. Two tiny marginal tears not touching text to first endpaper and final text leaf.
Contemporary manuscript notes on first endpaper giving details of the work's contents. Interesting collection of theatrical pieces with England as their subject. Among these three plays, one should note that Le siège de Calais, a patriotic piece, had resounding success despite reservations from Diderot and Voltaire.

BEAUMARCHAIS Pierre-Augustin Caron de La Folle Journée ou le Mariage de Figaro

The true first edition with all the characteristics of the first issue, including the correct collation of p. 237. Title with blank verso, list of eleven booksellers distributing the work and note to reader on verso of half-title; half-title following preface with, on verso, the list of characters, official approval and imprimatur at beginning dated the 25th and 31st January 1785 under the names of Bret and Lenoir, while at the end, the two official approvals are dated 28th February 1784 from Coqueley de Chaussepierre and 21st March 1784 from Bret. Bottom of final page: A Paris, de l'imprimerie de Ph. D. Pierres. This true original edition appeared without engravings; this copy was therefore enriched with a first state set (a later state would see Rosina's chest in Plate V covered up) by Malapeu and Saint Quentin of five images, a suite one generally finds in later editions, especially Kehl's. The edition contains the famous preface by Beaumarchais. A number of more ordinary editions appeared at the same time as the original, which has different characteristics.

Sumptuous late 19th century dark green morocco by A. Valat, reminiscent of 18th century dentelle bindings. Spine in compartments richly decorated. Red morocco title piece, date to foot of spine. Large dentelle panel to covers, followed by a frame of several fillets and roulettes. Large, rich interior frieze. Tope edge gilt. Spine lightly sunned to a uniform brown. Joint very lightly rubbed. One corner bumped. Bottom of upper joint slightly bowed. Small scratch to upper cover. The copy was not cut during binding, which explains the unusual dimensions of the paper (13.5 x 20.7 cm) and the fact that some leaves are shorter in the outer margin. The engravings, cut down at their outer margins, are a centimeter shorter. Paper slightly discolored. A superb copy.

The piece had a difficult birth: Beaumarchais fought tirelessly for more than three years to get government approval for its publication. Written in 1778, it was read at the Comédie Française in 1781, privately played in Gennevilliers castle in 1783 and finally performed for the public at the Théâtre de l'Odéon on 27th April 1784.
The work is considered, because of its virulent critique of the archaic privileges of the bourgeoisie and more specifically the aristocracy, as a harbinger of the French Revolution.
This comic piece with its frenetic pace puts on the airs of a bourgeois drama á la Moliére; it was a distinct success with audiences, as the number of counterfeit editions published since its appearance attest. Testimony to the spread and notoriety of the piece is that Mozart made an opera of it very quickly, given that The Marriage of Figaro was composed in 1785-86.
Ex libris G. Martinet.
A rare copy of the true original with 5 plates from Saint Quentin (published later), in a remarkable binding.