First edition, one of 10 numbered copies on Japan paper, the deluxe issue.
Bradel binding in half chocolate-brown morocco with bands, smooth spine, date gilt at foot, marbled paper boards, brown endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, gilt edges, binding signed Honnelaître.
New edition after the first, very rare, published in 1670. Huet's Treatise on the Origin of Novels, in the form of a letter to Segrais, appears at the end of the first part of Zaïde.
Armorial copy of Charlotte Emilie Le Fèvre de Caumartin de La cour de Balleroy, daughter of Louis-François Le Fèvre de Caumartin, lord of Boissy, and wife of the Marquis de la Cour de Balleroy. Feminine arms are rare and sought after, as few women formed libraries with their coat of arms. The Marquise de Balleroy, who died in 1749, settled in Normandy, and maintained an intense correspondence with the highest nobility from which she descended.
Full speckled brown calf bindings. Raised band spines with decorative tooling. Morocco title labels in tan, volume labels in speckled brown calf. Headcap of volume II split. A brown stain in corner of first 10 leaves of volume I, gradually fading, this stain recurring later, spreading then disappearing. A browner area at edge of right corner of volume I, on upper board. Despite some flaws, a handsome copy.
First collective edition, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued, one of the press service copies.
Preface by Louis Aragon.
Precious autograph inscription signed by Louis Aragon to his friend Charles Dobzynski, whose wedding witness he was, along with Elsa Triolet: "A Dob, Louis."
New edition. It is known that the first volumes 1 to 8 appeared in 1777, then the rest staggered until 1789. This edition does not contain Bachaumont's name on the title page, unlike the original. It is not known whether the address is fictitious or real, but the typographical material appears to be Dutch. Bachaumont wrote the first volumes but they were edited by Pidansat de Mairobert who continued writing the volumes until his death in 1779, then it was Moufle d'Angersville's turn. The complete collection contains 36 volumes.
Bindings in half chocolate sheep with corners. Spine with raised bands decorated with 3 fleurons. Title and volume numbering gilt. Boards rubbed.
19th-century armorial bookplate of F. de Lagotellerie.
The very rare first edition.
Full glazed red calf bindings, smooth spines ornately decorated with gilt vegetal motifs, black calf title labels, gilt tooling on the headcaps, frames of quadruple black and gilt fillets enhanced with gilt fleurons at the corners on marbled paper boards, pink paper endpapers and pastedowns slightly soiled at margins, all edges gilt, gilt fillets at head and tail of leading edges, contemporary bindings.
Some light rubbing to boards, some minor foxing.
A handsome and rare copy of this work dedicated to his friend Béranger bound in an elegant contemporary Romantic binding.
First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on vélin pur fil paper, the tirage de tête (deluxe copies).
Full morocco, covers and spine preserved, slipcase, elegant binding signed by Semet & Plumelle.
Provenances: mostly from Robert Desprechins' library with his ex-libris drawn by Jean Cocteau, and by Louis de Sadeleer with his engraved ex-libris.
A very nice copy beautifully bound morocco signed by Semet & Plumelle.
First edition, one of 95 copies on pur fil, the only deluxe issue after 45 copies on Hollande.
A slight vertical crease on the front cover.
A handsome copy.
First edition on ordinary paper.
A few small spots of foxing, and a faint dampstain along the right margin affecting most leaves of the volume.
Black 3/4 morocco binding, spine with five raised bands framed in black, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards framed in gilt, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved and bound on stubs, top edge gilt, slipcase trimmed with black morocco, marbled paper slipcase boards, binding signed P. Goy & C. Vilaine.
Very rare signed and inscribed copy to Madame Charpentier, his publisher’s wife: "... son bien dévoué et respectueux..."
New édition after the first complete edition in 2 volumes of 1726, illustrated with a frontispiece and 12 charming and picturesque unsigned figures by Dubercelle. Title pages in red and black. Good impression. The frontispiece reproduces that of the first edition of 1707, it has been re-engraved.
Contemporary full glazed brown calf binding. Ornate spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Lower joint split at foot for 2 cm, otherwise handsome copy, very fresh.
It was this work that made Lesage a distinguished and immediately celebrated writer. The author had borrowed the framework from Guevarra, the devil carrying a mortal over the rooftops and observing scenes in the dwellings, a pretext for numerous discussions on the customs of Parisians, but it is an entirely original work in which the author's critical spirit excelled, since it is a satire of Parisian customs and manners, and which naturally transcends the Parisian microcosm to achieve social and philosophical criticism. This satirical work enjoyed great success until the end of the 19th century.
First illustrated edition with 3 title vignettes and 3 figures by Eisen in volume I (as well as 3 pages of engraved music) plus 3 tailpieces and 1 figure by Marillier, 2 by Barbier and 3 title vignettes by Marillier in volume II, plus 3 tailpieces. All engraved by Fessard, Longueil, Née, Delaunay and Halbou. Very fine illustration, very elegant.
Contemporary full calf binding with scale pattern. Spine with raised bands decorated. Red morocco title labels, and green morocco volume labels. Triple-ruled frame on boards. Edges gilt. Small lack to upper joint at head of volume I. Signs of rubbing. Pale scattered foxing. One lack to margin of p. 479. The binder has inverted the volume numbers.
Handsome copy.
Volume I: Salisbury, Varbeck, Le Sire de Crequy.
Volume II: Le Prince de Bretagne, La Duchesse de Chatillon, Le Comte de Strafford.
Most of Baculard d'Arnaud's narratives show an immoderate taste for true anecdotes (historical or picturesque and drawn from various regions: Italy, Germany, Spain) and the author is perfectly representative of this literature that would give rise to the gothic and dark novel. An exacerbated, sparkling sentimentalism animates the author's works, with a certain complacency in depicting evil and a rather morbid pleasure in emotions. Were it not for the framework that often defines the gothic novel, which is absent from d'Arnaud's works (except for Le Comte de Comminges), the author is very close to this movement in late 18th-century literature.
