Dialogues sur les affaires du temps, ou les pasquinades

First editions. Elzevirian editions with the Sphere device.
Contemporary full calf binding, spine with raised bands, decorated.
Work composed of 5 texts in first edition gathered in one volume: La chambre des comptes d'Innocent XI (5th dialogue), Le songe de Pasquin ou le bal de l'Europe (2nd dialogue), Le festin de Guillemot (4th dialogue), La pierre de touche politique, la diète d'Augsbourg (9th dialogue). The dialogues appeared anonymously between 1688 and 1691. The pasquinades are satirical dialogues between two harlequin-like characters, Pasquin and Marsorio. It is Pasquin who leads the subject, his sidekick asking questions. The whole is treated with all the desired lightness, reads easily, the humor and satire are often irresistible. These dialogues were published separately, and each contains a title page, with a publisher whose name is often fanciful and a different city, it goes without saying that there is only one publisher in reality. 19 dialogues were published, which it is naturally very rare to see gathered together. The subjects of each dialogue are different and deal, as the title indicates, with the great affairs of the time, and the situation of European countries. Only the first dialogue of the book: la chambre des comptes d'Innocent XI, does not place the two usual characters in situation, since it is a dialogue between the pope and Saint Peter, this dialogue is nevertheless the fifth dialogue of the pasquinades. French writer often given to pamphlets and satire, Eustache le Noble (1643-1711), baron de Saint-Georges et de Tenelière, was imprisoned at the Conciergerie for fraudulent acts, escaped from it, was then taken again and banished from France for 9 years, he died poor whereas he had been rich. All these dialogues are quite rare and are not easily found. A tear to one joint with lack. Handsome copy.