François René de CHATEAUBRIAND

Rare and sought-after first edition, first issue.

Includes the subscribers' list and the foreword, which were omitted when the remainder of this edition passed into the hands of another publisher, Dion-Lambert. It also retains the pagination error in volume two: page 164 instead of 364. With a letter from the author, bearing his autograph signature, written and dated 14 April 1839, in the hand of his secretary. One page written in black ink on a leaf. Slightly darkened at the upper edge, with occasional foxing, and the usual folds from postal handling.

Our copy is enriched with an exceptional, prophetic and macabre letter by François-René de Chateaubriand: "mais moi je suis mort, absolument mort et s'il me fallait écrire un mot dans un journal, j'aimerais mieux être enseveli à mille pieds sous terre." ["but I am dead, utterly dead, and if I were required to write a single word in a newspaper, I would rather be buried a thousand feet underground."]

Signed with the author’s faltering hand, this apparently unpublished letter was penned by his secretary: "Vous connaissez la main de [Hyacinthe] Pilorge que j'employe pour remplacer la mienne souffrante de la goutte" ["You will recognise the hand of [Hyacinthe] Pilorge, whom I employ to replace my own, suffering from gout,"] the author explains in the introduction to the letter.

Black half-morocco bindings, smooth spines with double gilt fillets and double blind-stamped compartments, black paper boards, slight superficial rubbing to some boards, marbled paper pastedowns and endpapers, sprinkled edges; contemporary bindings. Sparse foxing.

First edition.

Contemporary Romantic bindings in half green Empire calf, flat spines slightly faded, richly gilt with Romantic decorative motifs, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns; Romantic period bindings.

A few light spots of foxing; a discolouration mark on a blank endpaper of the first volume.

First edition, complete with the large folding map — often missing — and the facsimile in Arabic. Copy originally issued in plain temporary wrappers, therefore without the printed covers, as specified by the publisher’s sale notice.
Contemporary green half sheep binding. Smooth spine decorated with three gilt tools and fillets. Rubbing; hinges of volume 1 mostly cracked along the upper joint with some small losses. Internally very fresh. Untrimmed copy bound as issued in quires.

The supporting documents occupy pages 217 to 370 of volume 3.

Autograph note by François René de Chateaubriand, 12 lines in black ink on a bifolium, addressed to Madame Amédée de Duras, rejoicing in her improved health.
A tear with loss, due to the seal having been broken to facilitate reading the note.
"Mde de CH[ateaubriand]. me dit de vous répondre: si je meurs, madame, ce sera à vos pieds le matin. Non pas à midi, mais à trois heures et demie. Je me porte à merveille chez ma soeur. Que cela ne soit pas vous, mais mde de Lévis qui m'ait vu perdre ma longue barbe er mon mouchoir turc. Ne venez pas, vous ne devriez pas venir. Mde de Ch[ateaubriand] est inconsolable... "

| "the time for planting has come" |
Autograph letter signed by François-René de Chateaubriand, dated March 14, 1827. 3 1/2 pages in black ink on a bifolium, addressed to Michel-Augustin Varcollier.

Chateaubriand writes to the husband of his goddaughter, Atala Stamaty-Varcollier, the first to bear the name of the heroine of his famous novel that propelled him onto the literary scene in 1801. Head of the Fine Arts Division of the Seine Prefecture, Michel-Augustin Varcollier acted as Chateaubriand's intermediary in the development of the grounds of l'Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse, his wife Céleste's grand project to house elderly priests and nobles widowed by the French Revolution.

Here, Monsieur, is a bill from Madame de Chateaubriand to M. de Chabrol, inviting him to attend Marie-Thérèse's council meeting, which will take place next Wednesday, the 21st at 2 a.m.". M. de Chabrol was kind enough to suggest Friday of this week, but it has been impossible to gather MM. the Counselors for that day. Kindly explain this to Monsieur de Chabrol. [...] I have obtained permission from the Prefect of Police to place palisades along the walls.

Now I need permission from M. le Préfet de Paris to plant within these palisades. I'm going to pretend I've already got it, because the time for planting has come. I have no doubt that Mr. Préfet will continue his gestures of kindness. There is still, to complete the work on the trellis on my little boulevart [sic] to give two coats of paint to the barriers. I recommend myself to M. de Fresnes for the completion of this great work. I must thank him and you, Monsieur, for all the kindness you have shown me."

"Je me suis fait Monsieur, une loi de ne rien changer au texte de mes anciens ouvrages, afin que ceux qui les ont achetés autrefois ne soient pas obligés de les racheter aujourd'hui. De là il est arrivé, que j'ai laissé aux différentes personnes chargées de revoir les différents textes le soin de corriger les fautes d'impression. Et mes devoirs à remplir à la chambre des pairs m'ont encore empêché ces derniers temps, de surveiller les épreuves. Je vous remercie Monsieur, de votre intérêt : j'avertirai M. Ladvocat, et s'il le faut, des cartons seront faits et envoyés aux souscripteurs.
J'ai l'honneur d'être, Monsieur, avec toute la reconnaissance possible, et la considération la plus distinguée
Votre très humble et très obéissant serviteur
Chateaubriand" ["I have made it a rule, Sir, to change nothing in the text of my old works, so that those who bought them in the past are not obliged to buy them again today. Hence it has happened that I have left to the various persons charged with reviewing the different texts the task of correcting printing errors. And my duties to fulfill in the House of Peers have further prevented me lately from supervising the proofs. I thank you, Sir, for your interest: I will notify M. Ladvocat, and if necessary, corrections will be made and sent to subscribers.
I have the honor to be, Sir, with all possible gratitude, and the most distinguished consideration
Your very humble and very obedient servant
Chateaubriand"]

First collected edition, partly original, by far the most important and most sought-after (cf. Clouzot), with Chateaubriand having revised and reworked a large part of his writings.
This set also contains in first edition several texts including Les Natchez, Le Dernier Abencérage, Le Voyage en Amérique, and Moïse (placed at the end of vol. XXII and often lacking).

Each volume illustrated with a frontispiece by Charles Thompson.

Bound in contemporary navy blue half shagreen, spines with five raised bands, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns. A few spots of foxing.

Together with these collected works, uniformly bound: a volume entitled Œuvres diverses (collecting several political pamphlets in first edition); Le Congrès de Vérone (2 vols., Delloye, 1838); Essai sur la littérature anglaise and Milton’s Paradise Lost (both Gosselin, 1839).

In the volume Œuvres diverses, important presentation inscription signed by François-René de Chateaubriand to Monsieur (Henri) Bayart on the half-title of La nouvelle proposition relative au bannissement de Charles X et de sa famille.

This inscription, dating from the writer’s final years, is addressed to Henri Bayart (1825–1892), godson of the Duchesse de Berry and brother of Sophie-Josèphe Bayart, a close friend of François-René and his wife. The Chateaubriands and the Bayart family formed bonds of friendship and business during the Hundred Days and remained close until the end of their lives. As staunch legitimists devoted to the Bourbon cause, they even attempted the impossible in seeking to have the writer appointed governor to the young Comte de Chambord, claimant to the French throne. When writing this inscription, probably around 1843, Chateaubriand was at the twilight of his political and literary life; close to the Comte de Chambord, then exiled in England, the Bayarts once again tried to intercede on his behalf, sending Henri Bayart, without success, to persuade the last Bourbon heir to invite the ageing writer into his circle.

A rare and fine set in uniform bindings, containing numerous first editions and enriched with an important presentation inscription.

Exceptional printed invitation with several manuscript additions in black ink, notably the date and the names of the illustrious recipients: "Madame Récamier, par Monsieur de Chateaubriand." (Madame Récamier, through Monsieur de Chateaubriand)

Usual traces of folding, some lack of paper to left margin, paper slightly creased at lower right, minor spotting.

The leaf bears a signature, possibly painter Charles Thévenin's, suggesting he may have overseen the issuing of invitations.