First edition printed from the Vatican archives, one of 27 numbered copies on pure linen paper, deluxe copy.
Rare and fine copy.
Commentary by Raymond Ritter.
French translation by Adolphe Van Bever and illustrated with 40 original wood engravings by Louis Jou, one of the numbered copies on Rives vellum.
Half black morocco binding, spine with two thick raised bands set with gilt fillets, imitation white wood paper boards, small foxing to boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, original wrappers preserved, elegant contemporary binding signed by Creuzevault.
Handsome copy in a beautiful Art Deco binding by Creuzevault.
First edition.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Smooth spine richly decorated with ornamental tools and roulettes. Red morocco title and volume labels. The title label reads "Memoire de Torcy" while the title page is anonymous, so the author of these anonymous memoirs must have been well known at the time. Light rubbing. The half-titles of volumes II and III are not present, as in all copies we have consulted, so it is possible that they are not actually missing, and that there was only one half-title for the entire work. Very handsome copy, very fresh.
Armorial bookplate engraved in the 18th century of Louis Francois (1713-1791), Marquis de Monteynard (Languedoc), First Governor of Corsica, Secretary of State for the War Department and Lieutenant General of Burgundy. Vair, a chief gules, charged with a lion naissant or.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Torcy, was an important French diplomat and a key figure in the various international congresses that led to the establishment of the Peace of Utrecht and the end of the War of Spanish Succession. Between the Treaty of Ryswick and that of Utrecht, France lost Acadia (Quebec) and its other American territories, as well as its dream of hegemony over Europe, but gained a relatively lasting peace and the security of its national territory. The three volumes are distributed as follows: I. negotiations with Spain, II, with Holland, III, with England, and for the Treaty of Utrecht.
New edition, after the original published in 1627 under the title: De proxeneta seu De prudentia civili. One frontispiece title.
Copy with the cipher and arms of the Duke and Duchess of Montausier.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Spine decorated with the crowned cipher of the Duke and Duchess of Montausier (repeated 3 times in each compartment). Brown sheep title label. Boards stamped with arms and ciphers in the corners and triple fillet frame. Red edges. Paper browned. Skilful and fine restorations to headcaps, joints and corners. Gilding faded in places. Good copy.
Major figure of the 17th century, Charles de Sainte-Maure was made Duke of Montausier and Peer of France in 1664, and received the appointment as tutor to the Dauphin in 1668. His marriage to the great précieuse of the time, she who was called the incomparable Julie, Julie d'Angennes, was one of the great affairs of his life. It was for her that he composed La guirlande de Julie, a collection of 62 madrigals composed by the most illustrious poets of the time including himself. The Duke of Montausier was finally the model for Molière's Misanthrope, which is still today one of his claims to fame. As for the Duchess, she was portrayed by Madeleine de Scudery in her novel: Artamène ou le Grand Cyrus. They both constitute eminent symbols of the century of Louis XIV.
Jérôme Cardan (or Girolamo Cardana) is one of the great Italian humanists of the Renaissance. His work, Arcana politica (The Science of the World or Civil Wisdom), appeared posthumously, was very successful and went through several editions.
First edition of the French translation of Livy's Roman History by Pierre Du Ryer, historian, member of the French Academy and great translator for the Parisian booksellers of the period. This translation is accompanied by the supplements of Jean Freinsheim, philologist and historiographer to Queen Christina of Sweden, to whom Du Ryer dedicates the work. The edition also includes Florus's complete Summaries at the head of each book. Arms of Louis XIII engraved on the title page, text enhanced with engraved headpieces, initials and tailpieces.
Full calf binding, spine with 6 raised bands, later 18th-century red morocco title-label decorated with an eagle, arms of the Sade family of the Mazan branch, spine with author, title and volume number gilt, raised bands decorated with gilt fillet and compartments decorated with grotesques surrounded by double gilt fillet, gilt fillet on the leading edges. Boards reinforced at the joints with reused parchment visible under the white paper endpapers, probably a notarial deed. Handsome copy representative of the work of Parisian binders of the mid-17th century, found in the great collections of the period.
Fine condition, small dampstains in upper margin not touching the text, small hole with loss of a few letters on p.223, some rare scattered worming and browned leaves, slight bookworm damage.
Rare provenance from the library of the Sade family, of the Mazan branch, inherited by Donatien Alphonse de Sade, the Divine Marquis. The book would have been acquired by Abbé Jacques François Paul Alfonce de Sade, scholar and libertine, probably kept at the château de Saumane during the abbé's lifetime and at his death was transferred to the Sade family collection at the château de Condé after 1814. It has not left the Sade collection since. (Sources: Thibault de Sade, direct descendant of the Marquis)
Manuscript note from the beginning of the second half of the 17th century on the upper pastedowns of each volume. Characteristic indication of public sales of great Parisian libraries in the 17th century with the price in livres tournois and the name of the dealer. On the first volume "20 lt Nicolas [...]", the name is covered in ink with the addition below in a later date by another hand "1658", probably an acquisition date, and on the second volume "30 lt Nicolas [...]" with the addition of the date as on the first volume.
Prestigious provenance.
First Elzevirian edition. with title-frontispiece. Epistle to Cardinal Mazarin. Brunet (Manuel du libraire): "The first edition of this esteemed history is that of Paris, Edme Martin, 1661, but it is not sought after, while this one [...]". There exists a counterfeit of this Elzevier edition, it is less well printed and contains only 514pp.
Full red morocco binding 19th century (ca 1860) signed Belz-Niedrée. Spine with raised bands richly decorated with ornate compartments framed by triple fillets, roll-tooled at foot. Covers with interlace decoration in frame and complex geometric figures. Rich inner border. Gilt edges. Very fresh copy, with a slight yellow dampstain to one corner on the last 10 leaves. Dry stamp on the last endpaper: From G. Gancia. rare books. Kings road bright. 19th century engraved bookplate of D. C. M. and the motto: Advance with courage. This refers to Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks (1820-1894), first Baron Tweedmouth.
Very handsome copy perfectly executed by Belz-Niedrée.
