Les Bergeries de Mre Honorat de Bueil, chevalier, sieur de Racan. Dédiées au Roy. Cinquième édition, reveuë et corrigée

Fifth edition, the last revised and corrected by the author. Printed in italics.
Contemporary full brown grained sheep binding. Smooth spine attractively decorated. Red morocco title-label. Foxing. Handsome copy.
According to Louis Arnoult, Racan, (Histoire anecdotique et critique de sa vie et de ses œuvres. Paris, A. Colin. 1896), this is the best edition of the Bergeries. It is preceded by numerous pieces: the epistle to the king, the ode to the king, various sonnets to himself, letter to Malherbe. Racan composed this dramatic pastoral when he fell in love with Catherine de Thermes, alias Arthénice, in 1619. Caught up in the turmoil of war, being himself a soldier, he would not return to his work until much later. He is considered the most brilliant pupil of Malherbe, whom he met in 1605.