Voyage merveilleux du prince Fan-Férédin dans la Romancie; contenant plusieurs observations historiques, géographiques, physiques, critiques & morales

First edition, attributed to Bougeant according to Barbier (IV, 1091). Title page in red and black.
Full speckled sheep binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated. Tan morocco title label. One wormhole at foot. Signs of rubbing. Good copy. La Romancie is the country of novels. The prince who has been raised on reading novels since his youngest age is in search of this utopian country which he finally discovers underground. All the things described, trees, rocks, are contaminated by what is found in novels, thus the rocks are tender having listened to so many complaints from heroes... The marvelous journey is in fact a critique of very fine intelligence on the novelistic writing of the 17th century, for the author never undertakes a fundamental critique, he has written a travel novel about the country of novels which reveals its ridiculous aspects and excesses, and it is true that a certain novelistic production of the 17th century often proves the author right with its cohort of shepherds, ancient heroes, and fairies.