L'Heptaméron des nouvelles de Marguerite de Navarre

Edition established, annotated, and commented by Le Roux de Lincy and Anatole de Montaiglon. Deluxe printing limited to 395 copies on deluxe paper, this one of 40 on Whatman paper (No. 301), including three suites of the engravings: one in black on Japan paper, one in bistre, and one in sanguine.

Illustrated with a portrait by T. de Mare, a frontispiece by Dunker, and 76 figures after Freudenberg engraved by De Longueil, Eichler, Le Roy, among others. Includes head- and tailpieces. One chromolithographed plate depicting the arms of Marguerite de Navarre. All engravings are presented in three states, except the chromolithograph.

Contemporary full citron morocco binding signed by Allo. Spine with five raised bands, richly tooled with Marguerite de Navarre’s cipher repeated twice and fleur-de-lys motifs, framed in gilt compartments with various decorative tools and fillets. Her coat of arms stamped at the center of both covers, triple gilt fillet border. Lavish gilt dentelle turn-ins. A thin scratch to the lower board of volume II and a small surface crack along the lower joint of the same volume. A very well-preserved copy with only occasional light foxing. Edges untrimmed, causing the engravings to be slightly shorter than the text block.

A magnificent set in a masterly period binding.

Le Roux de Lincy based his work on manuscript sources to restore the text's authenticity. This scholarly critical edition includes extensive appendices, such as Marguerite de Navarre’s funeral oration, a study of the various editions, and a notice on Freudenberg. Le Roux de Lincy and Anatole de Montaiglon produced a bibliophile’s reference edition of the highest order.