Histoire du chevalier du soleil, et de son frère Rosiclair, et de leurs descendants

First edition of the translation and abridgment by the Marquis de Paulmy and Contant d'Orville.
Armorial copy of the Rohan Chabot family, certainly, given the date of the edition, of Louis-Antoine de Rohan-Chabot, known as the Chevalier de Rohan. 2 mascles and two chabot fish crowned in the corners. We know that the library of Cardinal de Rohan (famous!) bore mascles on the spine as a stamp.
Contemporary full glazed blonde calf bindings. Smooth spine decorated. Title label and volume label in brown morocco. 3 scratches on the upper cover of volume II, without consequence. Cracking of upper joints with very slight leather loss. Fine copy.
Le chevalier du soleil is a translation of the Spanish chivalric romance by Diego Orthunez de Calahorra, the first part of which appeared in 1555; the later sequels, second and third parts, are not by the author. Interesting preface by the Marquis de Paulmy, famous medievalist of the time, who affirms that the Amadis cycle is a sequel to the Chevalier du soleil. A table of contents allows one to trace the chronology of each character. The Marquis de Paulmy and his colleague Contant d'Orville did not merely translate Le chevalier du soleil; they compiled not only the sequels to the Histoire du chevalier du soleil, but also the last 21 Amadis romances, and the Roman des romans by Duverdier, which allows one to follow the destiny of all the characters of Spanish romance chivalry across two books. More strange seems the introduction of music in scores and songs by Philidor and Grétry celebrating chivalry, testimony to the 18th century's perception of romance chivalry.