Étienne PASQUIER

New edition, reprint of the first edition in ten books published in 1621; illustrated with a portrait by Léonard Gautier and a large vignette with royal arms. Title page in red and black. Printed on fine paper.
Contemporary half calf binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Head worn. Upper joint cracked at head. Rubbing to boards. Corners slightly bumped. An encyclopedic and highly celebrated work, Les recherches de la France stands out among all works of this kind for its radical novelty. Pasquier can be considered the father of modern history, History emerging then as a discipline and departing from legend and literature. Chapter VII, quite different from the others since those focused on research into the Antiquity of France, concerns itself with the formation of the French language; one part is devoted to the Pléiade, of which Pasquier was a member. Chapter VI already dealt with the origin of French poetry. "A unique monument raised to antiquities, the Recherches comprise, through their variety and boldness, everything that a scholar of the 16th century could aspire to." Robert Barroux (archivist of Paris and historian).

Edition with some parts in first edition, expanded with Book VII, a table of contents, numerous additions and a portrait of Pasquier by Thomas de Leu. This portrait had been created in 1583 in Troyes and had never been integrated into the editions. This is the last edition published during the author's lifetime.
Contemporary full calf binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated. A lack to head. A lack of leather to the last compartment. Upper joint cracked at foot and head. Wormholes to part of the upper board.
Encyclopedic and highly celebrated work, Les recherches de la France stands out among all works of this kind for its radical novelty. Pasquier can be considered as the father of modern history, History then emerging as a discipline and departing from legend and literature. Chapter VII, quite different from the others since those focused on research into the Antiquity of France, examines the formation of the French language; a section is devoted to the Pléiade, of which Pasquier was a member. Chapter VI already dealt with the origin of French poetry.