Alphonse Simier

New edition expanded with a commentary by Jean-Augustin Amar du Rivier, and illustrated with a portrait of the author as frontispiece engraved by Ligon after Rigaud and 6 figures hors-texte engraved by Pierre Adam, Chollet, Burdet, Larcher and Lorichon after Desenne.
Half green Russia leather bindings with corners, spines with five raised bands decorated with fleurons and roulettes stamped in blind, with gilt compartments and roulettes, headcap of the second volume slightly cracked, joints lightly rubbed, marbled paper boards, second board of the third and fourth volumes very lightly rubbed, some corners slightly bumped, endpapers and pastedowns of red speckled marbled paper, armorial bookplate of the Martineau des Chesnez family pasted on the front pastedown of the first volume. Contemporary binding signed Simier.
Handsome copy in a half Russia leather binding signed Simier.

Edition expanded with notes from all commentators and printed by L. Parrelle.
Half morocco bindings with Russian red leather and corners, spine with four raised bands set with broad gilt fillets decorated with gilt compartments enhanced at their centers with gilt typographical motifs, gilt friezes at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary bindings signed by Simier, binder to the King.
Frontispiece to the first volume with an engraved portrait of Malherbe.
Joints lightly rubbed, some minor foxing.
Handsome copy in a binding executed by one of the most prestigious binders of the nineteenth century.

First edition.
Half caramel calf bindings, spines with four raised bands set with gilt fillets and decorated with double gilt fillets, red morocco title and volume labels, some minor scratches to spines without significance, two upper headcaps showing traces of rubbing, one joint of the fifth volume fragile, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, elegant contemporary bindings signed by Simier relieur du Roi.
Scattered foxing, auction price notations inscribed in red ink in margins of descriptions.
Handsome copy in charming uniform contemporary binding signed by one of the most talented binders of the 19th century.

New edition.
Binding in full caramel shagreen, back with five nerves set with black nets adorned with double black boxes, title of the golden work wrongly spelled "Sybille", golden casters on the caps, framing of double black nets on the boards, framing of a golden lace on the counterplates, guards and counterplates of paper in the tank, all golden edges, golden thread on the cuts, elegant binding from the time signed by Simier and executed for the author.
Touching autograph shipment signed by Léon Laurent-Pichat to his sister Rosine.
Beautiful copy perfectly established in a full Simier binding and enriched with a moving autograph signed by the author to his sister.

First edition, one of the rare copies printed on laid paper of which no mention is made, the only deluxe copies.
Full navy blue shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands set with black fillets decorated with double blind compartments enhanced at their centers with gilt fleurons, gilt roulettes on the headcaps, boards struck at their centers with a gilt mandorla enriched with mosaicked navy blue interlace, double gilt fillets on the leading edges, wide gilt dentelle on the pastedowns, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, all edges gilt, superb contemporary binding signed by Simier.
Provenance: from the library of the author, Louis Ulbach, with his bookplate and a library shelf marking.
A very handsome copy perfectly executed by Simier.

First edition à la sphère. Rare. The work would appear in Italy, in Ragusa, the following year.
Full brown calf binding ca 1820 signed Simier at foot. Spine with raised bands decorated with cold tooling in cross-hatched pattern, gilt fillets and roulettes. Cold-tooled geometric decoration framing the boards. Gilt edges. Rubbing. Slight leather loss at foot. Handsome copy.
Grégorio Leti (1630-1701) is, under the pseudonym of Giulio Capocoda, the author of numerous anti-Catholic pamphlets. Capocoda converted to Protestantism and settled in Geneva. He later became historiographer to Charles II in England. The history of Donna Olympia tells the story of a courtesan at the court of Rome; in fact, the man who would become Pope Innocent X was her brother-in-law. It is said they were lovers. She schemed for her half-brother to become pope, and once he was in place, it was she who ruled the church, amassing an immense fortune by squandering the church's assets. The work details her biography up to her trial.

NB: This work is available at the bookshop on request within 48 hours.