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We are exhibiting at these fairs:

California International Antiquarian Book Fair

February 9-11, 2018
Pasadena Convention Center
300 East Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
booth 203-204

&

New-York Antiquarian Book Fair

March 8-11, 2018
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue, New York
booth A31
 I. [INCUNABLE] LYRA Nicholas of
(LYRANUS Nicolaus)

Moralia super totam Bibliam

Paul Butzbach, Mantoue 29 April 1481,
190 x 270 mm (7 1/2 x 10 5/8 ”), [280] ff [sig a10,
b6,c4,d-z8, A-J8, K6, L12], stiff vellum

First Italian edition of the Franciscan Nicholas

of Lyra’s (1270-1349) famous moral commentary, the
third edition of this work. The first was published in Co-
logne in 1478. The text, in Latin, used for this edition is
the one revised by Ludovico della Torre (? – 1365) who
added the alphabetical index at the end, preceded by his
Epistola pro operis emendatione et pro ipsius Tabula miro
artificio ordinata, dated December 1480 and addressed
to Francesco Raimondo of the San Apollonio monastery
near Brescia.
Manuscript reference to a former owner, Don Octa-
vius Feragnus Casalmaiorensis, dated 4 February 1598
at Cremona and noting the price of the book (“2 lira 5
solidi”) as well as that of the binding (“1 lira 10 solidi”).
A very handsome printing by Paul Butzbach, based
in Mantua, in Gothic Lettre Bastarde in 54 lines divid-
ed into two columns. The large illuminated initial
at the beginning of the prologue takes up the en-
tire height of the page and a whole column, with
delicate flower motifs. Typical of the Northern Ital-
ian school, this initial is very fine: the artist has given it
depth by heightening it with little light and dark touch-
es, applied with a brush no more than two or three hairs
thick. The gilt ground of the initial, the use of the color
purple and the stark color palette all come directly from
the Byzantine tradition of illumination, which would
last in Italy more than in the rest of Europe. The other
initials are alternately rubricated in red or blue.
Stiff vellum with small flaps, reusing a page of a ded-
icatory epistle written in red, with a triple blue and red
frame, vellum pastedowns from a 15th century gradual
setting to music a text from Matthew’s Gospel, staves
in red, words and notes in black, two historiated initials
with vegetal motifs in blue, red and gold and heightened
with white, three smaller initials in red and blue. Lower
edge with the note “Nicol. de Lyr. S. tot. Biblim”.
Two wormtracks not touching text, one repaired in
first leaves.
The last work printed by the German Paul Butzbach
(circa 1447-1495) who started his career in his native
province of Mainz, before emigrating to Italy and Ve-
rona, where he specialized in grammatical works. For
reasons unknown, he moved to Mantua, where he estab-
lished a press in which he printed 18 works in very different fields (theology, philosophy, exegesis and law). He then diversified his activi-
ties by beginning to deal in books: notarized documents from the period describe him both as a printer but also as merchator librorum; he
even got together with a Venetian colleague to develop a distribution network. On the back of his success, he joined the court of Frederic
II of Mantua, whose aesthetic traditions he took on.
A very good incunable with delicate illuminations, witness of a transitional period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance,
between stylization and a form of representation closer to reality.

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II. [INCUNABLE] (MEDICI Lorenzo de’) BIENATO Aurelio & MEDICI Piero II de’
Oratio in funere Laurentii de Medicis habita with an autograph letter signed by
Piero II de’ Medici to Dionigi Pucci
Philippus de Mantegatiis, Milan n. d. [after 8 april 1492] & n. d. [1493], book: 20,8 x 13,8 cm (13/16 x 9/16 ”), letter:
22 x 30 cm (7/8 x 1 3/16 ”), (8 f.) Sig : a8, 1 volume, later morocco binding & 1 page and a few lines on a folded leave

First edition of the eulogy of Lorenzo de’ Medici, said by Au- The purpose of his text is above all political: he underlines and
relio Bienato, bishop of Martorano (Catanzaro, Calabria), on 16 praises the recent diplomatic ties between Florence and Naples,
April 1492 in the church of Santa Maria la Nuova in Florence, enabling Lorenzo the Magnificent to establish his power over the
eight days after the prince died. This eulogy is followed by a short Florentine city. This volume comes with an autograph letter signed
eight-verse poem. This is the only printed eulogy of Lorenzo the by Piero de’ Medici, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, addressed
Magnificent (John McManamon, Funeral oratory and the cultural to Dionigi Pucci, himself a diplomat and friend of the sender. 28
ideals of Italian humanism, 1989). lines written in a fine and slim writing. Address of the recipient
at the back of the second leaf. Wax seal marks. Light brown spot-
Bound after the 19th century, full red morocco, smooth spine ting. In this letter Piero the Unfortunate confesses his allegiance
framed with gilt fillet and blindstamped, full title, large dentelle to Ferdinand II of Aragon, king of Naples.
frame and double gilt fillet framing the inside cover.
In reality, as he was writing this letter, he had already reached
Several brackets and handwritten notes from then. a neutrality agreement with Charles VIII King of France who was
Ex-libris from the Prince Piero Ginori Conti (1865-1939), about to capture by force the realm of Naples he considered his.
an Italian businessman and politician, coated on the first inside Despite this agreement, Piero II de’ Medici was nonetheless com-
cover. Ex-libris embossed with the stamp of the Gianni de Marco pelled to surrender unconditionally and seek exile in Venice: this
Library. is the beginning of the first Italian war. In two years on the throne,
he destroyed everything the Medici dynasty had built during the
Opposing a complete different approach form the usual lauda- former century.
tory praises, Aurelio Bienato introduces Lorenzo the Magnificent
as a modern prince, a European model, a patron of arts and litera- Rare collection of documents evoking the climax and
ture, but also a guarantor for peace in Italy. the dawn of decay of the mighty Medici dynasty, the most
influential family of the Italian Renaissance.

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III. [INCUNABLE] HEMMERLIN Félix & BRANT
Sébastien

De Nobilitate et Rusticitate Dialogus.

Ejusdem de Switensium ortu, nomine,
confederatione, moribus et quibusdam [...]
gestis (et alia opuscula)
Johann Prüss, Strasbourg [entre 1493 et 1500], in-folio
200 x 280 mm (7 7/8 x 11 ”), (4 f.) 152 ff erroneously numbered
CLI – Sig: (1) A3 a-c8 d-z6τ8, recased in an old vellum

First edition, edited by Sébastien Brant. Woodcut figure

to leaf 77 representing the Wheel of Fortune. The initials in
this copy have been left blank. Hemmerlin (1389-circa 1460) was a precursor to the Refor-
mation. Canon of Zurich in the first half of the 15th century, he
Numerous contemporary underlinings and manicules as well praised the virtues of the nobility and the rustic lifestyle. He also
as voluminous marginal notes. recorded 146 verses from Konrad von Mure, written in the 12th
Recased in an old vellum binding, spine in five compartments. century, which survive only in his version.
Faint dampstain to outer margin throughout the book. A few An important and erudite work on the emergence of the Swiss
wormtracks without significant loss to letters. Confederation.
A very good copy.
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IV. [INCUNABLE] QUINTUS-CURTIUS Rufus

De rebus gestis Alexandri magni regis Macedonum
Giovanni Tacuino, Venice 1494, in-folio 220 x 330 mm (8 11/16 x 13 ”), (68 ff.) [sig a8 d-l6], 15th-century binding

The very rare first edition of Quintus Curtius Rufus’ His- Three copies identified in European libraries, in Göttingen, the
tory of Alexander the Great, edited by Bartolomeo Merula who cor- British Library and Cambridge.
rected (without altering the main body of the text) the errors in
the editio princeps by Vindelin de Spire (1470 or 1471). A second Half chamois-type vellum over wooden boards, spine in four
edition appeared in 1496 with the same pagination. The History compartments, remains of clasps, two manuscript annotations to
of Alexander the Great makes up books III to IX of the complete covers. Capital spaces left blank.
works of Curtius Rufus. Wormholes to boards, slightly larger wormtracks to corners.
An attractive edition by Giovanni Tacuino with 46 lines to the Worming without loss to text. Brown dampstain (with a tiny hole
page in Roman character and his printer’s mark to colophon. to k4) from i4 to end, another, growing fainter, to leaves k5 and k6
and one smaller to margin of a4. Small lack to lower margin of b2.
Graesse II, 310. GW, 7876. Brunet, 448.
Several manuscript ex-donos and titles from the 15th and
16th centuries to first endpaper. Numerous notes, some contem-
porary marginal running titles and underlining in red and brown
ink. A few contemporary manuscript notes on the final two end-
papers.
Giovanni Tacuino (1482-1541) was an important Ve-
netian publisher and contemporary of Aldus Manutius. He
was, after Comin da Trino and Gabriele Giolito, the third publish-
er from Trino to settle in Venice, a rich intellectual and commer-
cial center. His works are signed “Ioannes Tacuinus de Tridino”,
“Ioannis de Cereto alias Tacuinum de Tridin”, “Zuanne de Trino
dit Tacuino” or “Zuan Tacuino”. The initials ‘ZT’ also appear in his
printer’s device at the end of our copy. His workshop produced
first editions of great Roman writers as well as works by contem-
porary authors: Vitruvius, Erasmus, Aulus Gellius, Juvenal...
Bartolomeo Merula was a humanist and a collaborator of
Giovanni Tacuino for whom he edited, and produced commentar-
ies on, numerous Classical works. His most famous commentaries
are those on Ovid.
An attractive copy in rare contemporary binding of this
emblematic work of humanist printing in Renaissance Ven-
ice.
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V. PACE Richard
Richardi Pacei invictissimi regis Angliae primarii secretarii eiusque apud Elvetios
oratoris, De fructu qui ex doctrina percipitur liber
Apud IoFrobenium, Basilea 1517, small in-4 (15,5 x 21 cm), 114 pp (2) Sig a-n4, o6., 18th-century calf

Editio princeps by Paolo Bombace. Printer’s device to verso of recounting in a fairly free conversational tone the reading of the
final leaf. Title in an engraved Renaissance frame. Adams (p. 1). Classics, knowledge, and awareness of morality, all with a peda-
gogical intent. The work remains valuable and remarkable testi-
18th-century calf. Leaf a 4 is erroneously marked a3, following mony to a humanist education.
on from a3. Traces of yellowy dampstains from leaf 87 to leaf 95,
at first intensifying, then disappearing. Repair to inner margin of Richard Pace began his education at Winchester, before going
leaf 33 (with a section of old paper). A good copy. on to Oxford. He continued his studies in Padua, Ferrara and Bo-
logna. After a life lived as a diplomat, he was named Secretary
The author’s principal work, which could be translated as “the to the King on his return to England, also enjoying a number of
fruits of knowledge” or “the fruits of a liberal education”. The clerical appointments, notably to Saint Paul’s. Pace was close to
work is a kind of reflection on knowledge and moral education. the great Humanists of his age and the King, Henry VIII, as well as
It’s a book that is close in spirit to Thomas More’s Utopia, which Thomas More of course and Erasmus (as several complementary
had appeared a year before. Richard Pace praises that work, calling letters attest). The work was reprinted for the Renaissance Society
it a work of genius (p. 82 De Moro). It was in reading Pace’s (1482- of America in 1966 (edited and translated by Franck Manley and
1536) book that Luther became aware of More’s work, wanting Richard S. Sylvester).
very much to read it. De fructu bears detailed witness to the fruits
of a humanist and liberal education under the Tudors, the author Rare and handsome edition.
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VI. HOLBEIN Hans

Biblia utriusque Testamenti juxta vulgatam translationem et eam, quam haberi
potuit, emendatissimam [...]
Hugues de la Porte (Melchior et Gaspard Trechsel), Lyon 1538, in-folio 230 x 327 mm (7 7/8 x 12 7/8 ”), (4f.)
569 pp (45 p.) – Sig: *4 a-z8 A-M8 N6 AA-BB8 CC6 (erroneously numbered CC4), 18th-century sheep

Editio princeps of the Holbein Bible.

Rare edition that followed the text of Robert Estienne’s 1528
Bible, it was banned by the Inquisition and put on the Index by
Rome. Text in two columns, a well-margined copy. Printer’s device
to title and colophon. The work, a first issue, has 95 illustrations
(8.5 x 6cm), of which a series of 86 vignettes engraved after draw-
ings by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497?-1543), by the virtuoso
Hans Lützelburger (1495-1526).
18th-century brown sheep, spine in seven compartments, all
edges mottled red. Tail-piece a little rubbed with small lack, cor-
ners rubbed and slightly bumped. A few light dampstains.
Provenance: manuscript ex-libris of Nicolas Tournyer (or
Tournier) to title, Royal Councilor and President of the Electors allow for more detailed engraving than pear, and engraved the en-
of Amboise, dated 1741. From the collection of Baron Paul Harth tire set of little scenes by line drawing, without cross-hatching.
(Cat. II, 1985, n°14). The vignettes, whose size wouldn’t usually have allowed for a lot of
detail, are masterpieces of detail and perspective. They also show
Numerous underlinings and contemporary marginalia, some a Holbein’s talent as a portraitist who, buffeted by the Reformation
little shaved during binding. and recommended by Erasmus to Thomas More, would serve for
some time as Court Painter in England. Essentially, at the time
Between 1528 and 1532, when engravings were enjoying a when the Bible was being published by the Trechsel brothers, he
roaring success, the Trechsel brothers ordered a new set of illus- was travelling across Europe to make portraits of princesses who
trations from Hans Holbein, then at Basle. This edition of the Bi-
ble was finished in 1538. In the same year, the Trechsel brothers were potential brides for Henry VIII.
also published the Icones, made up exclusively of Holbein’s wood- “The compositions of the illustrations for the Bible are
cuts. Long a subject of debate among bibliographers, the Bible’s masterpieces of the first order. The expressions of the fig-
precedence was proved by Jean Vial who confirmed the theory of ures are just right and offer that mix of simplicity, energy,
his colleague Henri Baudrier: the illustrations were indeed first and naivety characteristic of Holbein.” (Ambroise Firmin-Di-
published in the edition here offered for sale. Heavily copied illic- dot, Essai typographique et bibliographique sur l’histoire de la gravure
itly, these previously unseen vignettes were printed again in Paris sur bois, 1863).
in 1539 and Antwerp in 1540. The enormous expressiveness of
the illustrations was skillfully captured by the engraver Hans Lüt- A very good copy of one of the most important master-
zelburger, who used boxwood blocks, which are denser and thus pieces of Renaissance wood engraving.
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VII. BELON Pierre
L’Histoire de la nature des oyseaux, avec leurs descriptions, & naïfs portraicts
retirez du naturel: escrite en sept livres
Benoît Prévost se vend chez Gilles Corrozet, Paris 1555, in-folio (21,5 x 32 cm), (28) 381 pp Sig.: ã6 ~e4
~i4 a-f6 g4 h-m6 n4 o-t6 v4 x-z6 A6 (A6 blanc) B-E6 F4 G-I6 K4 L3, 18th-century half binding

The first edition, rare and

attractive. Six separate title
pages: Anatomie et De la physi-
ologie des oiseaux [Of the Anat-
omy and Physiology of Birds],
Oiseaux de proie [Birds of Prey],
Oiseaux nageurs [Aquatic Birds],
Oiseaux de rivages [Birds of the
Shore], Gallinacés [Galliforms],
Corbeaux (et espèces semblables)
[Ravens and similar species],
Petits oiseaux chanteurs [Small
songbirds].
This edition is illustrated
with a magnificent printer’s
device to title, a portrait of the
author at the age of 36 to ver-
so, two plates of human and
bird skeletons and 158 large
cuts within the text (of var-
ious formats). The cuts were
executed after drawings by the
Parisian painter Pierre Gou-
det (but really Gourdelle) and
other, anonymous, artists. The
portrait and seven figures of
birds were attributed to Geof-
froy Tory by Auguste Bernard (in Geoffroy Tory Peintre et graveur, There are a few entries that may at first seem surprising, but
premier imprimeur royal, Paris, 1865). Numerous historiated ini- should be highlighted among Belon’s descriptions, for instance
tials and attractive borders. An enormous table of all the birds. his putting bats among the birds of prey, all the while acknowl-
Later, 18th century, binding in half brown sheep over paper edging that he’s perfectly well aware that they aren’t birds:
boards, the spine in seven compartments with gilt dentelle to “For a long time there has been uncertainty over whether bats
head and filets and tools in gilt, as well as a red morocco title label. should be included with the birds or put in the ranks of terrestrial
Very skilful, discreet restorations to spine. Lacking the last animals...Seeing them fly, and seeing that they have wings, peo-
blank (L4). One very skilful restoration to upper margin of title. ple judged them birds...both Pliny and Aristotle pointed out that
Light dampstain, growing fainter, to the lower margins of the first they were aware that bats feed their young from two teats on their
two quires. Two other, heavier, dampstains to inside margin and chests, the same as for man. The Latins called the bat Vespertil-
upper left corner affecting final pages. io; but because of the similarity we can see to mice, we call them
‘bald-mice’...” (L’Histoire de la nature des oyseaux, livre II).
Contemporary manuscript ex-dono to title.
As well as bats, he mentions several fantastical creatures in
The first description and classification of birds in the last chapter of the first book, dedicated to “divers incongruous
French, which laid the foundations of the comparative birds”:
methodology two hundred years before Geoffroy-Saint-
Hilaire and Cuvier. Pierre Belon (1517-1564) was one of “Many things have been written about various birds that
the first ornithologists of the Renaissance. He had evidently strike us as fantastical: therefore we have separated out those we
carried out a great number of dissections, comparing beaks and esteem to be true: adding that others were also formerly known,
claws and trying to find common anatomical forms. For the first only the names of which have come down to us.”
time, he places the human skeleton in parallel with that of birds, In this chapter, Belon names imaginary breeds, of which he
but without however making the most of his observations and gives very precise descriptions, both in terms of physical appear-
drawing practical conclusions as the naturalists of the 19th cen- ance and behavior. He also mentions several mythological figures
tury did. described by Classical authors or brought down to us through
Taking the same rigorous approach as for his description of legend: Pegasus, a “bird having the body of a horse”, the Sirens,
fish in 1551, which he systematizes here, his descriptions of birds who had “human faces and voices” and “the feathers and feet of
are based on Aristotelean principles. He classifies them, on the ba- birds”. The Cercio, according to him, is “even more chatty than the
sis of his own observations, by their behavior and anatomy: birds Parrot & is more talented in learning to speak like men.” Certain
of prey, aquatic birds (birds that swim, or birds with webbed feet), specimens, no less anthropomorphic but described as being hos-
omnivores (principally hunting birds) and smaller birds (subdivid- tile to man, are depicted in a frightening way: Mennonudes feed on
ed in turn into insectivores and granivores). human flesh and Stymphalides are “less cruel to men than Lions &
Panthers & [only] attack if they want to hunt them & strike them
with their beaks, harrying them to death.” Belon also describes “The monstrous is omnipresent on the horizon of the 16th
cases of fantastical birds whose physiological properties are use- century...Apart from the fairly large role of the fantastical in the
ful to man, notably the Hercynia, “whose feathers give light like a creation of effects of wonder and in satisfying the need for a cul-
flame...which has often served country folk travelling by night,” or ture of the mythological without which one could hardly call one-
the Scylla which, according to magicians contains within its breast self educated at the time, the monstrous...was a demonstration of
a jewel called Chloriten which, when united with iron bears magi- the creative force of nature...and its inclusion is justified in Belon’s
cal properties. work due to its organizational function within the discourse of
classification.”
At the end of the sixth book, he devotes an entire chapter to
the Phoenix, of which he gives an even more detailed description: Nonetheless, Belon distinguishes between the plainly fantas-
tical descriptions of “unknown birds taken from divers authors,”
“They say it is the size of an Eagle. The feathers around its neck and his rigorous study of observable specimens “of which we have
are of a resplendent golden color. The rest of its body is purple in better knowledge,” which give the real originality of his work, “as
hue. Its tail is bluish & has occasional pink feathers. The rear part we shall see through the discourse of the following books.”
of its body is embellished with a crescent shape of raised feathers.”
This work, followed by another in 1557 entitled Pourtraicts
Despite the fact that he includes these imaginary creatures in d’oyseaux [Portraits of Birds] became a seminal work in ornithologi-
his classification, he does not provide illustrations of them, the cal literature from the 17th century on. It was, however, given less
illustrations in the work having been done after life. attention when it appeared because of Conrad Gessner’s Historia
Philippe Glardon, author of the preface of a new edition of animalium, which was published at the same time, Gessner being a
L’Histoire de la nature des oyseaux, (Droz, Geneva, 1997) believes more popular naturalist at the time than Belon.
that these surprising examples, apparently relegated to the ends An exceptional copy, superbly illustrated, of this first
of chapters, are in fact designed to tie together Belon’s classifica- French book of ornithological descriptions, among the
tion and balance out the work. He also notes, on the subject of great scientific works of the Renaissance.
Jean Céard, that:
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VIII. CALVIN Jean & BÈZE Théodore de

Ioannis Caluini in viginti prima Ezechielis Prophetae capita Praelectiones,
Ioannis Budaei & Caroli Ionuillaei labore & industria exceptae. Com
Praefatione Theodori Bazae ad generosis. Gasparem) Colignio Gallia
Amiralium.
Ex officina Francisci Perrini , Genevae (Geneva) 1565, in-8 (12 x 19,5 cm), (10 f.) 412
ff (20 f.) Sig: *10 a-z8 A-Z8 Aa-Hh8, mid-19th-century half morocco

The very rare posthumous first edition, first printing 1564. These lessons on the first twenty chapters of the revelations
(known as “type a”), with all the typographical charac- of the Prophet Ezekiel are the last preached by Calvin before his
teristics (capitals in the fifth line of the title in Roman letter, death on the 27th May 1564.
*ii instead of *ij and identical initials on *ii and p.1). This edition
contains a preface by Théodore de Bèze, Calvin’s successor, in the Like the previous lessons, these too were collected in Latin by
form of an exhortation to the head of the Protestants in France, Jean Budé and Calvin’s secretary, Charles de Jonviller who, on the
Admiral Gaspard de Coligny. Another edition by the same printer 9th October 1564 asked the Council for “permission to have print-
appeared a few months later in French translation. ed the lessons of Monseigneur Calvin on the first 20 chapters of
Ezekiel, reviewed by the deceased. Agreed that he has permission
Thirty-four lines per page, woodcut initials, printer’s device. for as many as Monseigneur de Bèze has witnessed.”
Mid-19th century half navy blue morocco by Galette, spine in In his dedicatory epistle to Admiral de Coligny, de Bèze – who
six compartments with richly decorated frames, marbled paste- succeeded Calvin to the Chair of Theology at the Academy – pays
downs and endpapers, all edges red. Two corners slightly rubbed, elegant homage to his friend and spiritual guide: “In him we find
small repair to upper inside margin of title, a few leaves repaired the only [person] in our time who has left behind so many works
in margins, occasional marginal dampstaining. Contemporary in- which contain so whole and so pure a doctrine. But that it had
scription to title. pleased God to leave us the benefit of this shining light for an-
other year or two; it seems to me, in truth, that one could not de-
Calvin began his lessons on Ezekiel on the 20th January 1562. mand a more perfect knowledge of the Old and New Testaments...
Very soon, however, his state of health compelled him to call upon His death, of which he was forewarned, prevented his finishing
Théodore de Bèze’s help. In a letter to the Daniel family, François Ezekiel, which is all the greater a loss to the Church, since he was
Perrot notes this double teaching: “Our good tutor and common the most obscure of the Prophets, as we know...and who knows
father has got into the habit of commenting on Ezekiel – still in when we will find someone to complete this painting, begun by
hand – which is to say on the first three days every second week our Apelles.”
this year, while our Théodore in his turn is commenting on the
Catechism in Greek the first three days of the week...Because of Only 16 copies in various libraries of the first printing (cf. Bib-
his illness, Calvin can often hardly finish his bit.” Calvin interrupt- liotheca Calviniana).
ed his unfinished lessons once and for all on the 2nd February
A handsome and very rare copy of the first printing with good
margins.
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IX. [ANONYMOUS]
Regla y constitutiones de la cofradia del Sanctissimo sacramento de la yglesia
de San Christoval de Granada – Autograph manuscript with three miniatures
N. p. [Granada] 1569, in-folio: 215 x 305 mm (8 7/16 x 12 ”) – upper margin: 35 mm (1 3/8 ”), bottom margin:
50 mm (2 ”), interior margin: 30 mm (1 3/16 ”), exterior margin: 40 mm (1 9/16 ”), 31 ff., 16th-century full calf gilt

Manuscript on vellum, comprising 31 leaves: 50 pages pages in which the confraternity takes an oath; this starts with
of text, ruled and lined and 3 full-page miniatures in col- an imposing decorated initial in red and blue. The chapters then
ors, heightened in gold. The four final leaves were num- follow on directly, each with a tidy initial. The important terms are
bered and partly ruled but left empty. Contemporary man- heightened in red, allowing for quick navigation in the text. A long
uscript ex-libris on front endpaper. In Spanish throughout, manuscript annotation to the outer margin of leaf 24. The afore-
written in Caroline minuscule on 24 lines, the text is very mentioned rules take up 23 ruled leaves, ruled and lined in red.
readable and very regular.
Leaf 27 bears two manuscript privileges. We have not been
The manuscript begins with a three-page summary cov- able to read the signature on the first, dated May 1569, though
ering the 24 chapters that comprise the Regla y constitutiones quite elaborate. The second, later, one (May 1596), is signed by
de la cofradia del Sanctissimo sacramento de la yglesia de San Chris- Justino Antolinez de Burgos (1557-1637), at the time the Chap-
toval de Granada. One decorated initial in red and blue, indents lain Royal, charged with the inspection of ecclesiastical lodges.
and pagination in red, small sketch in black ink to inner margin. Long contemporary manuscript note to reverse of leaf 24.
The verso of the final page of the summary has been ruled and
lined in red but left blank. There follow the three full-page min- Contemporary light-brown calf, spine in five compartments
iatures. The first shows a Communion scene (on the recto of one with gilt roulettes and fleurons, gilt fillet frame to covers, small
leaf), the second the Tree of Jesse (verso of the same leaf), and gilt fleurons to corner and a larger gilt fleuron to center of covers.
the third Saint Christopher bearing the baby Jesus (recto of the One clasp preserved. A few very skilful repairs and regilding, prac-
following leaf). The verso of the miniature bears a short manu- tically invisible.
script text explaining that these rules are those of the confrater- This manuscript has three spectacular full-page minia-
nity and brotherhood of the Holy Sacrament, established in the tures in gouache, heightened in gold.
Church of Saint Christopher of Granada on the 1st May 1568.
This is followed by the “prohemio”, a prologue of two and a half The first shows the Holy Communion, with Christ himself es-
tablishing the Eucharist with the words “This is my body, this is
my blood.” The Apostles and Jesus (with a halo) blessing them,
are seated around a table set with bread and fish. This motif be-
came a major theme of Christian art in the Renaissance, as this
miniature also shows.
The second miniature shows the Tree of Jesse, which symbol-
izes the genealogy of Christ traced from Jesse (“Xese”), shown as
an old man reclining. In keeping with the iconographic tradition,
a tree protrudes from his side, the main branches of which bear
some of Jesus’ ancestors. Here, they are: Zachary, Jeremiah, Da-
vid, an unidentified King, and – at the pinnacle – Mary holding
the Christ child within a mandorla.
The third miniature presents a scene with Saint Christopher
– the patron of the Church in Granada to which the Confrater-
nity of the Holy Sacrament was attached – with a child on his
shoulders, as he was commonly represented. The iconography
derives from a passage in the Golden Legend in which St Chris-
topher helps a small boy cross a river. During the crossing, the
child gets heavier and heavier, and the river more and more
threatening: “You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not
think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders
as you were. The child replied: ‘You had on your shoulders not
only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your
king, whom you are serving by this work; and to prove to you
that I am telling the truth, when you go back to the other shore,
plant your stick in the ground opposite your house, and in the
morning, you will see that it has flourished and borne fruit’.”
This miniature is bordered on all sides with richly illustrated
borders on a golden ground, typical of mediaeval manuscripts,
showing Sphinxes and several types of anthropomorphic plants.
These miniatures bear witness to the influence of the Italian
Mannerist artists on Spanish painters. One sees here the same
graceful serpentine in the figures, the same attention to drap-
ery (especially in the Communion scene) and a very similar color
palette, with tones as delicate as they are vibrant.
> see more
X. SERLIO Sebastiano
Tutte l’Opere d’Architettura
Chez Francesco de Franceschi, Venice 1584, in-4 (18 x 24 cm), (24 p) 219
ff (1 f) 27 ff. (1 f) (8 p) 244 pp., contemporary vellum

First complete edition of the works of Sebastiano Serlio, around 1541. Though he actually built relatively little, his work
comprising Books I to V, Book VII and the Extraordinary Book. Print- as a theoretician was nonetheless quickly recognized, right from
er’s device showing an allegory of Peace to title and colophon. the publication of his first work, which corresponds to Book IV in
Frontispiece title to each book. the present copy.
Contemporary vellum, skillfully repaired, spine in four com- The 14th century saw a renewed interest in Vitruvius’ De ar-
partments, titled in ink in first. Dampstain to lower margin of first chitectura and a number of experts began to write their own trea-
gatherings, small burnmark to leaf 143 of first text with small lack tises on architecture, like Alberti with his De re aedificatoria. Serlio
to text on verso. Faint dampstains and scattered spotting. joined this tradition with a treatise on geometry, followed by an-
other on perspective in the first two books. Once he had laid down
Ink ownership inscription to title. these theoretical foundations, he went on giving an overview of
The books in this collection appeared in a very disordered way Classical buildings that had come down through the ages (Book
across several countries and there were numerous successive edi- III), and the five orders of architecture (Book IV). He sets himself
tions within the author’s lifetime. This cacophony of published up as a worthy heir to Vitruvius in so doing before giving a doz-
editions led the publisher Francesco de Franceschi to gather the en plans for churches in Book V. The Extraordinary Book consists
first five books into one edition, followed by the Extraordinary exclusively of models of monumental doors, while Book VII, with
Book and Book VII. Book VI was not included since it remained which the work finishes, deals with the various challenges an ar-
unpublished until the middle of the 20th century and only ap- chitect may face during the course of his work.
peared for the first time in 1966 in Munich. A reference work on architectural theory in Renaissance Ita-
Sebastiano Serlio (1475-circa 1554) was a contemporary of ly in the 16th century, Serlio’s work largely inspired the writings
such famous artists as Titian and Pietro Aretino, whom he often of Vincenzo Scamozzi, himself an architect and theoretician who
saw in Venice in the 1530s. Titian welcomed Serlio into his clos- continued the spirit of Serlio’s work until his own death in 1616.
est circle, while Aretino praised his talent. These Venetian con- A richly illustrated copy of the works of Sebastiano Serlio in a
nections lent him a certain renown in powerful circles, including contemporary vellum binding.
with François I, who invited him to his court at Fontainebleau
> see more

XI. [AMERICA (Map of)] ORTELIUS Abraham

Epitome du theatre du monde [Epitome of the Theater of the World]
De l’imprimerie de Christofle Plantin, Anvers (Antwerp) 1588, small in-8, landscape:
150 x 105 mm (5 15/16 x 4 1/8 ”), (8 f.) 94 f( 2 f.), 18th-century sheep gilt

First complete edition of the 94 maps. This is the third Ink ex-libris to title. A few contemporary manuscript annota-
edition in French, the first for some parts, as reviewed, corrected tions to margins. A very fresh copy.
and enlarged with 11 maps.
An illuminator, book- and map-seller, Abraham Ortelius
First published in Latin in 1570 in Antwerp (with two editions (1527-1598) had a very good idea what collectors wanted and de-
appearing that same year, with the title Theatrus orbis terrarum), cided to embark on a career as a cartographer. He was deeply in-
then in Dutch in 1577, the text was translated into French from fluenced by his 1554 meeting with Gerard Mercator (1512-1594),
1579 onwards. This first edition in French, which appeared under with whom he became so close that the latter, also working on
the title of Miroir du monde, had only 72 maps. It was re-published his famous atlas, pushed back its publication date in order not to
in 1583 with 83 maps. It was not until 1588 that the complete, hurt his friend, whose work he held in high esteem. It was thus
definitive version, with its 94 maps appeared, entitled Epitome du on the 20 May 1570 that the first, Latin, version of the work ap-
theatre du monde. peared, printed at the expense of the author by Gilles Coppens in
Antwerp.
Each map has a facing text on the history of, topographical
details of, or anecdotes about, the part of the world in question. The atlas was not cheap, costing 30 florins at the time it ap-
There is an alphabetic table of maps at the back of the volume. peared. Max Rooses (1839-1914), the keeper of the Plantin-More-
This edition also has a preface from the engraver (and holder of tus museum, tells us that the Ortelius atlas was the most expen-
the privilege) Philippe Galle (1537-1612), followed by an allegor- sive book in the 16 th century. Nonetheless, this collection, having
ical engraving showing Prudence, Truth and the Omnipotence of taken several years of rigorous and intense work, was immediately
God, and a Discours de la mer [Discourse on the Sea] by Ortelius. very successful and became a cartographic reference almost ten
years before the appearance of Mercator’s atlas.
18th-century light brown marbled sheep, spine in four com-
partments with compartment decoration, gilt fillets and fleurons, Maps at the time circulated either in isolation or collected in
as well as a tan morocco title-piece, all edges red. Head and tail of a somewhat random and unnatural way. Ortelius was thus the
spine, corners and one compartment at head of spine repaired and first to offer a coherent set of maps uniform in format, scale, and
re-gilded. A small burn affecting a few letters of the text on Egypt. appearance, or in other words scientifically reliable, thus giving
birth to the modern encyclopedic atlas. The deliberately reduced Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Central and
size of the work made it easy and convenient to handle and it was Eastern Europe to Russia, Asia, and Africa. It was not until 1507
useful both to scientists and laymean. with the work of Martin Waldseemüller (1470-1520) that the
map of America saw the light of day; he was notably the first to
“The collection was intended to satisfy two principal types of provide a complete representation of the Atlantic Ocean and also
readers: the cultivated amateur and the professional, aware of the to expand Ptolemy’s work considerably. Waldseemüller’s version
practical utility of the map. The layout was managed economically was nonetheless only partial and restricted itself to the South-
in order to respond to the pragmatism of the second, while the West coast of the continent. Far more detailed and extensive, Or-
tastes of the first were catered to by choice typography, the sym- telius’ map drew on the one published by Diego Gutiérrez in 1562,
bolic language of the emblems and the scholarly notes on the his- but offering a much greater view, especially of North America. On
tory of places and peoples. The Theatrum orbis terrarum was thus Ortelius’ map we can see, among others, New France, discovered
a rigorously put-together book which offered all its readers the in 1523 by Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485-1528) who was tasked
best positive way of seeing the known world represented.” (Erika by François I with exploring the area between Florida and New-
Giuliani, 5 – Mettre en collection des “vues de villes” à la fin de la Re- foundland in order to find a way through to the Pacific.
naissance: les Civitates orbis terrarum (1572-1617), in Isabelle Pan-
tin et al., Mise en forme des savoirs à la Renaissance, Armand Colin Ortelius’ scale is correct for some areas and too great for oth-
“Recherches”, 2013, pp. 103-126). ers (Tierra del Fuego, New Guinea, and Mexico, as well as Austra-
lia and Antarctica, which are shown all together and labeled terra
Giuliani also highlights that this enterprise proved success- australis nondum cognita) that had, nonetheless been reached since
ful because it brought together the best artisans of the age: “The the 1520s. As far as North America is concerned, it is represented
fact that he was not only an illuminator and map-dealer, but also more or less as we know it today. The toponymy was hardly Chris-
a collector, friend to Mercator and a member of Plantin’s circles tianized yet, with a number of Amerindian appellations appearing
allowed him to choose the best examples to make what would be- (Culia, Tiguex and Tecoantepec, among others).
come a model for other publishers and an unsurpassed reference
work. Ortelius recommended that scholars have the Theatrum in The cartographer was also the first to show Lower Cal-
their libraries and consult it when reading the Bible or the history ifornia as a peninsula, with the North-Western coast of
books.” (op. cit.) America being nothing more than a sketch beyond Califor-
nia.
The fact that Ortelius called upon the talents of Plantin as pub-
lisher to produce the French version of his work is not surprising. One can also see that the map’s legends focus on the rivers
The latter was one of the defining figures of the Renaissance boom and littorals, showing the lack of knowledge of inland areas, which
in illustrated scientific books. Geographers were rediscovering the yet remained to be explored. It is equally interesting to note the
work of Ptolemy (90-168) at that time, putting cartography no presence of some quite surprising legends, especially in Patago-
longer at the service of science, but of discovery (the search for, nia: “Patagonum regio ubi incole sunt gigantes” (or, the region of Pa-
and creation of new maritime routes, the perfection of ships, and tagonia where the inhabitants are giants).
so on). This was a total re-evaluation of the medieval view of the Other labels of the same sort explain the circumstances of the
world, based on more precise astronomical and terrestrial mea- discovery of certain areas, the names of famous explorers, and so
surements. Ortelius’ atlas found its rightful place in this re-na- on. In the extreme North of America, the author notes “Ulteri-
scent topographical movement, while at the same time respecting us septentrionem versus hec regiones incognite adhuc sunt”, or “The
Ptolemy’s rigorous and immutable geographic order: England, more northerly regions are still unknown.” This note may leave
us with the impression that
Ortelius was careful and pru-
dent in not showing on his
maps anything but areas that
had already been explored.
Nonetheless, one can also see
the presence of the cities of
Quivira and Cibola, two of the
mythical Cities of Gold locat-
ed in California, following the
account of the explorer Fran-
cisco Vásquez de Coronado
(1510-1554), who set off to
find them in 1541.
Ortelius’ work, an em-
blematic work of the Re-
naissance, nonetheless
bears the marks of the
popular traditions of the
Middle Ages. It mixes the
scientific rigor of its car-
tographic outlines with
legends and descriptions
drawn from accounts of
voyages, sometimes melded
with fantasy.

> see more

XII. VAENIUS [VAN VEEN] Otto
Q. Horati Flacci Emblemata. Imaginibus in aes incisis, notisque illustrata
Ex officina Hieronymi Verdussen, Antverpiae (Antwerp) 1607, in-4(18 x 23
cm), 213 pp(1), binder of the time in full parchment

The sought-after first edition, the only edition entirely in Lat- maxim in capital letters, followed by a short poetical extract as
in – unlike the later editions – and illustrated with 103 full-page well as an explanation in the guise of an extract from Horace or
emblems copper engraved by C. Boël and Gisbert van Veen. Por- other Roman writers.
trait of Horace in a medallion to title.
An important work, in which images for the first time take
Leaf 48 mis-numbered 84. Several donorship inscriptions to precedence over the text, this emblem book shows Venius' talent
half-title and title. A few images of nudity have been discretely for bringing together the Flemish pictorial tradition with Italian
erased. Mannerism. “Is it not he, among the unfairly forgotten masters of
this age, who manages best to marry the individual note of Flem-
Contemporary vellum, ink title erased on spine, a small blue ish realism with the ideal flower of Italian grace?” (Charles Blanc,
spot to upper cover. A little cockled. Several faint dampstains. Histoire des peintres de toutes les écoles : Ecole ombryenne-romaine,
Marginal tears without lack to pages 107, 179 and 183. Volume 13, 1864). In an equally innovative move, the painter pre-
Otto van Veen's (1550-1629) first published work. Van Veen ferred worldly subjects to the detriment of traditional religious
was a Mannerist painter, Flemish art theorist and Rubens' teach- images.
er. The work is made up of two series of plates intended to eluci- A rare edition of one of the most famous emblem books of the
date the moral meaning of theatrical symbols. Each plate has a 17th century.
> see more

XIII. MULERIUS Nicolaus

Tabulae Frisicae lunae-solares quadruplices, è, fontibus Cl. Ptolemaei, Regis
Alfonsi, Nic. Copernici, & Tychonis Brahe, recens constructae operâ et studio
Nicolai MulerI [...], quibus accessere solis tabulae totidem, hypotheses Tychonis
illustratae: Kalendarium Rom. vetus, cum methodo Paschali emendata
Excudebat Iacobus Meesterus, typographus ordinarius, apud Wilhelmum Ianssonium, Amstelodami
(Amsterdam) 1611, small in-4 (18 x 22,5 cm), 464 pp (28) 77 pp (2), contemporary sheep

The rare first edition, with a frontispiece of the astrono-

mers represented in the work, astronomical figures (eclips-
es), as well as diagrams in the text. The Calendarium Romanum
vetus has an unusual title page in red and black. Tabularum emptori
(p. 8) is signed by the author.
Contemporary brown sheep. Spine in decorated compart-
ments. Red morocco title piece. Headpiece torn, tail-piece worn
down. Two holes to third compartment of spine.
This important astronomical work contains the complete solar
and lunar tables of Ptolemy, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and Alphon-
sus. The commentaries are by Nicolas des Muliers (1564-1630) of
Bruges, a Professor of Mathematics and Medicine at the Universi-
ty of Groeningen, and later its librarian. He wrote and published
several works on astronomy: Institutionum astronomicarum libri
duo, 1616, Iudæorum annus lunæ-solaris , and Turc-Arabum annus
merê lunaris. Des Muliers was particularly interested in chronolo-
gy but also makes numerous astronomical observations by means
of a personal telescope. He was interested in both eclipses and the
methods different astronomers used to make their calculations.
He realized that astronomical calculations revealed the reality be-
hind celestial bodies.
> see more
XIV. SOLÓRZANO PEREIRA Juan de
De iusta indiarum occidentalium inquisitione,
acquisitione & retentione
Ex typographia Francisco Martinez, Matriti (Madrid) 1629, small in-
folio (20 x 29,5 cm), (6) 751 pp. (100), contemporary vellum

First edition, very rare. A very attractive frontis- The first part
piece-title by Roberto Cordier showing an altar with alle- of the book is ded-
gories of Faith and Religion, the king of Spain with one foot icated to studying
on an Globe supported by Neptune. A second volume was pub- the laws that al-
lished in 1639 on the government of the West Indies. lowed the attach-
ment of the Amer-
Contemporary speckled limp vellum. Jansenist spine. Red ican possessions
morocco title-piece. Spine faded with black spots. Small lacks to to the crown of
head and foot of joints. Trace of a yellow dampstain to right-hand Castille. Here, the
corner of last twenty leaves. Letter to Phillip IV of Spain and in- focus is the defin-
troductory portions lacking, a total of 11 leaves. itive legitimation
In 1618, Juan de Solórzano Pereira wrote the king a petition of the Spanish pos-
to make him part of a book project on the West Indies. King Phil- sessions in Amer-
ip IV was seduced by the general idea of legally asserting once ica. The author
and for all the legitimacy of the Spanish possessions in America then looks at the question of the Church and its relations with
and financed the first book on justice, but not the second on the the Spanish crown, as well as laws on government in general, the
forms of government, which appeared in 1639. The author had administration of justice, and finally the laws regulating relations
been a judge in Lima since 1609 by Royal appointment. The Vice- with the indigenous peoples and territories. The importance of
roy of Peru appointed him Governor of Huancavelica, a mining Pereira’s work is to be found in his relentless effort to find the
outpost of key economic importance to Spain, an office he was to history and origin of each law.
fill during his eighteen years in Peru, as well as Procurator to the 1680 saw the publication of the famous collection of the laws
Supreme Council of the Indies (Real y supremo consejo de Indias). of the Indies, (the Recopilacion de las leyes des las Indias), but this
Pereira developed an extensive and detailed knowledge of Spanish could not replace the excellent work of Pereira, who spent a long
jurisprudence in the West Indies, studied numerous documents, time studying the oldest laws as well as those of the Indies. In fact,
and ended up with a significant wealth of knowledge, especially all the ancient laws, and their indigenous origins, disappeared
on the ancient customs of the indigenous peoples. from the collection of the laws of the Indies, and Pereira’s work
would remain key for the history of the West Indies and Spanish
Americas.
> see more

XV. VEGA Garcilaso de la

Le Commentaire royal ou l’Histoire des Yncas, roys du Peru
Chez Augustin Courbé, Paris 1633, in-4 (16 x 23 cm), (2 f.) (44 p.) 1319 pp. (32 p.) (1 f.), contemporary vellum

First French translation by Jean Baudoin, following the origi- ilization at the very front of his work, Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-
nal Spanish, which was published in 1609 in Lisbon. This transla- 1616) confirms his intention of going all the way back to the
tion is only of the first part of the Commentaire royal; the second quasi-mythological origins of the Peruvian people. Himself the
has apparently never been translated. The frontispiece shows a Pe- illegitimate child of a Conquistador and an Inca Princess of the
ruvian city in the upper portion, most likely Cuzco, with a proces- Capac line, and brought up in two different cultures, de la Vega of-
sion celebrating the various forces of nature. In the lower portion fers here a history of the Incas both before and during the Spanish
are two Incas, named as Manco Capac and Mama Occlo, framing conquest, highlighting his privileged position as a direct witness
the title; above are two vignettes showing jewels, and a caravel. of the events. As he points out in his notice to the reader, the his-
The plate is normally signed M.L. (the L here has been erased) for torians who had gone before him “had only vaguely touched” on
Michel Lasne, a French draughtsman and engraver who was best certain things he considers essential for understanding the histo-
known as a student of Rubens’. ry of Peru. Meanwhile he, as a “native of Peru & perfectly brought
up in the language of the Court, which was spoken in Cuzco in his
Contemporary vellum, spine in four compartments with ink day, where he spent the better part of his years,” also has the ad-
title to head, corners very slightly bumped. Small damsptains to vantage of bringing to his historical work a serious methodolog-
head and foot of inner margin throughout, wormtracks to pp. ical approach (“in doubtful matters, he never claims anything for
867-977 and 1269-1286, slightly touching the numbering of the certain”). Above all, this is a unique view of Peruvian history for
quires in places, but not the body of the text. the time, insofar as the author does not privilege a Eurocentric
The frontispiece sums up the themes of the text in showing view unlike his contemporaries, but regularly takes instead the
the riches of a land conquered by the Spanish, all the while fore- view of the Native Peruvians looking back at their own history.
grounding key figures of Peruvian history. It is no surprise that his work is still used as a reference work by
historians of Latin America.
The man on the left, Manco Capac, is traditionally considered
the first emperor of the Incas at Cuzco. Mama Occlo was his wife. First edition in French of a major text on the Inca civi-
In putting these two mythical figures of the founding of Inca civ- lization.
> see more
XVI. BOODT (BOOT) Anselme-Boece de
Le Parfaict Joaillier, ou Histoire
des pierreries, où sont amplement
descrites leur naissance, juste
prix, moyen de les cognoitre, & se
garder des contrefaites, facultez
medecinales, & proprietez curieuses
Chez Jean-Antoine Huguetan, Lyon 1644, in-8
(11 x 17,5 cm), (1 f.) (5 p.) (3 pp.) (4 p.) (3 p.)
(12 p.) (3 pp.) 746 pp (pp 95 – 96 repeted); (17
f.) (1f. errata), contemporary morocco

First edition of the French translation, translated by François

Bachou from the Gemmarum et lapidarum historia (1609) of the
Flemish doctor and naturalist Anselm de Boodt. The work has
45 woodcut illustrations in text and retains the two fold-
ing plates showing the “Division of Precious & Common
Stones.” Retaining also the errata leaf, often missing.
Contemporary red morocco. Richly gilt spine in five compart-
ments, evidently 18th century title-piece in light brown morocco.
Triple gilt fillet frame to covers and gilt fleurons to corners. Gilt
dentelle surrounding the inside of covers, all edges gilt.
Headpiece slightly rubbed, three corners a little bumped. One
miniscule wormhole touching outside margin of one edge of first
few gatherings, a few pages spotted, a very good copy.
A major, pioneering and decisive work of gemology and miner-
alogy. First published right at the beginning of the 17th century,
in 1609, it is both treatise and manual. Anselm de Boodt describes
and writes about no fewer than 106 minerals and gems, and pro- they medical, magical, or other...One will also find in this remark-
poses a system of classification for them (hardness, composition, able work practical information on the size of stones and how to
color, clarity). He relies not only on Classical sources (Pliny’s Natu- spot fakes, a summary of mineralogical knowledge at the time,
ral History, the Materia Medica of Dioscorides, Galen’s Simple Med- and an inventory of mineral substances used in healing (with a
icines and Alberto Magno’s De Mineralibus), but also the fruit of justification for their use). There are, in addition, useful tips for
Renaissance research (by Césalpin, Gessner, Scaliger, and so on), jewelers, naturalists and doctors. A useful index of all the stones
and spends some time explaining the virtues of each stone, be covered is provided at the beginning of the work.
> see more

XVII. ROSA Salvatore

Figurine. Varia et concinna delineamenta
N. n., n. p. n. d. [circa 1656], small in-4 (15,5 x 22 cm), one frontispice et 60 plates, restoration-period binding

62 etchings on thick paper. Very rare. Plate 29 has been repaired, the lower margin under the en-
graving has been replaced (the plate having been at some point
Salvatore Rosa made these etchings around 1656 in a collec- cut to the edge of the image). Light brown stain to the upper mar-
tion originally entitled Figurine. This collection has a different ti- gin of title, not touching plate. Plate 33 incorrectly cut at bottom
tle in the cartouche on the frontispiece, just as another copy in margin.
the Soares dos reis Portuguese National Museum bears the title:
Has ludentis oty Carolo Rubeo singularis amititiae pignantes. D. D. D. An Italian book has recently appeared on the subject: Figurine
The copy in the Portuguese museum is cataloged as a posthumous d’acquaforte: mostra di incisioni di Salvatore Rosa. Benevento, Mu-
edition from the 18th century. Most of the engravings in this set seo del Sannio, 9 dicembre 2000-7 gennaio 2001 (published by the
can be seen separately at the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco del Sannio Museum).
(the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Art, the biggest collection
of engravings in America). The Los Angeles County Museum has Restoration-period navy blue polished half sheep, spine with
8, while the Museum of Fine Art in Boston has 4. The engravings blindstamps and blindruled fillets and gilt roulettes. A small tear
are described as having the same format as our set (13.6 x 8.9 with lack to head of lower joint.
cm), some engraved after anonymous artists, others drawn by Salvatore Rosa (1615-1673) was born in Naples and died in
Salvatore Rosa himself; the stylistic differences are clearly visible. Rome. He worked at the court of the Medicis and was a major Ital-
The frontispiece of the copy held in the San Francisco museum is ian Baroque painter as well as a poet and popular actor. He was
blank. The museum has only 52 engravings, all reversed. later considered to have heavily influenced the Romantic style.
All the engravings in the present set have a monogram with
the two letters, S and R interlaced. Some of the monograms are > see more
reversed, which leads one to think that the plates themselves are
also reversed.
XVIII. VEGA Garcilaso de la
Histoire des guerres civiles des Espagnols dans les Indes, suivi de Suite des
guerres civiles des Espagnols dans le Peru
Chez Simeon Piget, Paris 1658, in-4 (17 x 23,5 cm), (30 p.) 631 pp (15 p.) (17 p.)
555 pp (20 p.), 2 volumes bound in 1, contemporary vellum

Second French edition, bringing together these two texts by first time in France in 1633, de la Vega covered the history of the
Garcilaso de la Vega, which first appeared in Spanish in 1650. Inca rulers, here he gives an account of the conflicts that faced
Frontispiece title showing, in the foreground, the landing of the Spanish colonists after their arrival in Peru. He tries to com-
Spanish troops in the Americas, and in the background the na- municate the upheaval caused by these internal conflicts, both
tive population besieged in a burning town. In the lower portion, for the indigenous population and for the Spanish. In his notice
there is a banner with the inscription “Quid non mortalia pectora to the reader, de la Vega explains that the Inca rulers had in fact
cogis auri sacra fames [O sacred hunger of pernicious gold!? What succeeded in establishing an empire where “the Moral, Political,
bands of faith can impious lucre hold?]”, taken from Virgil’s Aene- and Military Virtues” reigned. The arrival of the colonists and the
id and translated by Molière as “Ô exécrable faim de l’or, jusques execution of Atahualpa – the last independent Emperor – upset
où ne forces-tu point de se porter le cœur des hommes”. With his- the established order and were seen as an expression of the “Am-
toriated initials and borders. bition” and “Avarice” of these “new Armies”. De la Vega presents
these events in a truly epic format, looking to give the reader a
Contemporary vellum, spine with ink title to head, almost sense of the “divers players in this History, wonderfully entranc-
erased. One corner bumped, title skillfully repaired in inner mar- ing & in which the Author has learned the roles in this Scene from
gin, faint dampstain to lower margin of final gatherings. the very principles who were their real-life Actors.” A continuation
Ex-libris of the Nordkirchen family laid down on front paste- of his first major work on the History of the Incas, Kings of Peru, the
down. Manuscript ex-libris to title with initials E. H. L. History of the Civil Wars of the Spanish in the Indies gives the reader
a sweeping overview of Peruvian history in the years following
The illegitimate child of a Conquistador and an Inca Princess, the conquest.
brought up in two different cultures, Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-
1616) offers a unique look at Inca civilization by rejecting a Eu- A very good copy of this highly significant work in the histo-
rocentric view. While in his Commentaire royal, published for the riography of the Spanish conquest of Peru.
> see more

XIX. BIET Antoine

Voyage de la France equinoxiale en l’isle de Cayenne, entrepris par les
François en l’année MDCLII
Chez François Clouzier, Paris 1664, in-4 (17 x 24 cm), (24) 432 pp.,contemporary calf

First edition.
Contemporary brown calf, spine in six compartments with
blind-ruled compartments and gilt fleurons, remains of a manu-
script title label. All edges speckled red, binding skillfully restored.
Tear to lower margin of title skillfully restored, a few tiny stains.
The work is divided into three parts: the first relates the estab-
lishment of the colony and its journey to Cayenne, the second is
a collection of observations on the 15 months spent there by the
author and the last is concerned with the country’s climate, the
fertility of the soil, and the customs and dress of the indigenous
peoples. A last part is made up of a Franco-Amerindian dictionary,
which is the very first appearance of a lexicon of the Galibi
language. Some chapters also refer to Guadeloupe, Barbados and
Martinique.
Chaplain to the 700 colonists of the expedition sent to Guyana
on the 18th May 1652, Antoine Biet gives a precise account of
the second attempt at colonization. The attempt failed, and the
hundred surviving colonists were forced to flee Cayenne for Su-
rinam in January 1654 (and from there to Barbados), having suf-
fered tropical illness and fierce resistance from the Galibi Indians.
According to Boucher de La Richarderie, “no account other than
Biet’s sheds so much light on the natives of Guyana; he describes
them in all their primitive simplicity.” (Bibliothèque universelle des
voyages, 1808).
Manuscript ex-libris on front endpaper: “Ce livre appartient
à Mr. Adam de Saron [This book belongs to Mr Adam de Saron].”

> see more

XX. MOLIÈRE
Les Œuvres de Monsieur Molière
Chez Denys Thierry, Claude Barbin et Pierre Trabouillet, Paris 1682, in-12 (9 x 16,5 cm),
(24) 304 pp (4) et 416 pp (4) et 308 pp (4) et 296 pp (4) et 335 pp (erroneously numbered
535) (1) et 195 pp (5) et 261 pp (3) et 312 pp., 8 volumes, contemporary calf

The first complete collected edition, the first for some friends, called Vinot. The publishers used, to make this edition,
parts, and the first illustrated edition. The first edition of of the text of Molière’s manuscripts themselves, more or less re-
Dom Garcie de Navarre, L’Impromptu de Versailles, Dom Juan ou le viewed and corrected by him either for performances or for pub-
Festin de Pierre, Les Amans magnifiques, La Comtesse d’Escarbagnas. lication. Therefore, the text often differs slightly from the first
With 30 copper-engraved figures by Jean Sauvé after Pierre Bris- separate editions and the collected edition of 1674...Despite this,
sart, of which 21 hors texte and 9 included in the pagination. it is this version that has most often served as the model for the
numerous editions published to this very day (J. Le Petit, Bibliog-
Strictly contemporary brown calf, spine richly gilt in six com- raphie des principales éditions originales).
partments, a few tiny variations to tools, gilt roulettes to head-
pieces and edges of covers, all edges speckled red. Very discreet Ex-libris of the collection of C. de Chavigny in Orbais to each
repairs. volume.
First complete edition of the works of Molière, published by A rare copy in a contemporary binding.
the actor Charles Varlet de La Grange, one of the closest compan-
ions of Molière and secretary of his troupe, and another of his
> see more

XXI. BEVERLEY Robert

Histoire de la Virginie
Chez Pierre Ribou, Paris 1707, in-12 (9,5 x 17
cm), (8) 417 pp (18), contemporary sheep

First French edition, another edition in French having ap-

peared in Amsterdam with the same date a little later in the same
year, this edition however seems much more up to date. 14 illus-
trations.
Contemporary brown sheep, spine decorated in compart-
ments. Red morocco titlepiece. Lack to head of upper joint and up-
per cover. Rubbed, two corners bumped. A half-centimeter-wide
strip cut from foot of title.
The first account of Virginia written by a native of the young
colony. An account of the colony and trade, and study of the Na-
tive Americans, their habits and costumes. This is considered to be
the best contemporary account of the Native Americans, distin-
guished by its free and original style and humorous commentary,
especially on the plantation owners of South Virginia.
> see more
XXII. PENTHER Joh. Fried.
Praxis geometriae, worinnen nicht bu ralle bey dem Feld-Messen
forkommende fälle, mit Stäben, dem Astrolabio, der Boussole und der Mensul,
[...]
Chez Christoph Peter Detleffsen, Augsburg 1732, small in-folio (20,5 cm x 30,5 cm), (10)
(97 pp-5 & 11 ff.), (10) 97 pp-5 & 11ff manuscripts in ink, contemporary vellum

First edition, frontispiece by Johann Balthazar Probst and 25 The rare first edition of the Praxis geometriae, one of the
plates, of which 2 folding showing calculations, instruments, gar- most famous and most remarkable German studies of ap-
dens, landscapes, etc. Significant tear without lack to two plates. plied geometry.
Contemporary vellum (stained, spine faded), illegible ink title. Manuscript notes apparently in Latin and German; the work be-
longed to a professor, Joh. Paul Spicker (cf. manuscript note to lower
Three tears to upper joint with lacks. margin of frontispiece), no doubt the author of the annotations.

> see more

XXIII. MOLIÈRE & BOUCHER François & COYPEL Charles

Œuvres de Molière
Imprimerie de P. Prault, Paris 1734, in-4 (22 x 29 cm), (6) lxx; 330 pp & (6) 446 pp & (6) 442
pp & (6) 420 pp & (6) 618 pp & (6) 554 pp., 6 volumes, contemporary calf

First printing (with the error “comteese” to line 12 on page A painter at the court of Louis XV and protégé of Madame de
360 of volume VI) of this illustrated edition with a portrait by Pompadour, of whom he painted a number of portraits, François
Coypel engraved by Lepicié, a fleuron on the title repeated for each Boucher (1703-1770) was one of the major artists of the Rococo
volume, 33 figures by François Boucher engraved by Laurent Cars, movement in France. Influenced by Watteau’s fêtes galantes, he
and 198 vignettes and tail-pieces (several repeated) by Boucher, made the rococo a style in which the erotic treatment of the body
Blondel and Oppenord, engraved by Cars and Joullain. was associated with a theatricality of movement and attitude in
settings where artifice, winning out over realism, broke with the
Contemporary brown calf, spine in six compartments with red everyday, giving the paintings a newfound sensuality. These char-
and green morocco title and volume labels, gilt frames and fleu- acteristics justify his work on the Works of Molière: his style, flex-
rons, triple blindruled fillet frame to covers, double gilt fillets to ible and fluid, sits well with the intrigues – some amorous, some
edges of covers, gilt dentelle frame to pastedowns and marbled familial – of the playwright and makes for pleasing illustrations
endpapers, all edges speckled red. to the text.
Skilful repairs to some joints, corners, and head- and tail-piec- Ex-libris pasted to each front pastedown with the name of
es. Two small paper faults to frontispiece, not significant. Re- Jacques-Marie Jérôme Michau de Montaran, master of Ordinary
paired tear without lack, repaired using a strip of paper to verso of Requests at the Hôtel du Roi.
title page of first volume. A fine copy in a contemporary binding, illustrated by
one of the most influential artists of the French Rococo
style.
> see more
XXIV. TURGOT Michel
Etienne & BRETEZ Louis

Plan de Paris,
Commencé l’Année
1734. Dessiné et
Gravé, sous les
ordres de Messire
Michel Etienne
Turgot [Turgot's Map
of Paris 1734]
Paris 1739, in-plano 45 x 56,5
cm (1 3/4 x 3 15/16 ”), 21
plates, 18th-century calf

The most famous map of Paris.

First edition, rare and precious,
consisting in one general layout divid-
ed into 20 numbered rectangles, pick- Michel Etienne Turgot, Marquis de Sousmont, back then Pro-
ing up schematically the 20 following perspective maps of Paris, vost of the Parisian merchants, wished to promote the image of
i.e. 21 double-page charts on strong paper. Number 18 and 19 are Paris and empowered Louis Bretez (member of the Royal Acade-
bound and can be folded out, and contain the title block with the my of Painting and Sculpture and perspective professor) for a new
title and editorial data. Some might find the disposal of charts map of Paris. Bretez started his work in 1734. With the Turgot’s
in this collection surprising, but they observe a strict order. The consent to enter anywhere he wished (gardens, houses, monu-
charts are bound following the general layout, from left to right; ments) he has taken accurate measurements for two years.
when removed the charts can easily be placed together in the right
order to reassemble the big perspective map of Paris, with a size of He started engraving only in 1736. The maps of Paris were de-
approximately 2,5 x 3 m (8 2/4 x 9 10/11’’), each chart measuring signed according to an isometric projection, giving more accuracy
approximately 50 x 80 cm (19 7 x 31 5’’). than the usual aerial views, and for the first time showed real sci-
entific advances in the way of engraving maps, and a real scientific
Full marbled and glazed calf vintage binding with the achievement, all monuments, gardens and houses being very pre-
coat of arms of Paris. Spine with fleurs-de-lis, one central and cisely depicted, down to the smallest details. The perspective map
four spandrels. Covers with the coat of arms of Paris in the center. according to an axonometric projection was so renowned that it
Large frieze frame with fleurs-de-lis in the corners. Very subtle took the commissioner’s name.
and skilful restorations.
Beautiful copy with the coat of arms of Paris.
> see more

XXV. MONTESQUIEU
De l’esprit des loix [The Spirit of Laws]
Barillot, & fils [Durand], Geneva [Paris] n. d. [1749], in-4 (19 x 25 cm),
(8) XXIV, 522 pp(1) et (4) XVI, 564 pp., contemporary binding

Second edition. A counterfeit of the first edition published by Montesquieu’s (1689-1755) general argument is that laws are
Barrillot (with two ‘r’s) in Geneva in 1748. This counterfeit was not purely made by men – the spirit of the laws is “the various
produced by Laurent Durand and was printed in Paris by Prault, relationships of the laws with different things,” – but that many
and is – thus – the second printed edition. elements go into making them. There are, thus, physical elements
(the climate), moral elements (religion, custom), and so on. More-
Contemporary bindings in full marble sheep. Spines with dec- over, a primitive justice is at the root of laws – there is thus indeed
orated raise bands. Title- and volumes- pieces in red and Havana a spirit of the laws. But the book is not merely a treatise on the
morocco. spirit that motivates law; it is above all a treatise on government
An emblematic, definitive book of the 18th century, the Spir- and first and foremost, freedom. Though the book was extensively
it of the Laws, or the principles and tendencies which define the read, it was received with some coolness by the philosophers, who
making of laws, had a decisive influence on political life and was a did not recognize Montesquieu as one of their own and held his
guide to the writing of the Constitution of 1791 as well as that of conservatism against him. It was also heavily criticized by mem-
the United States. bers of the Church.
A very good copy.
> see more
XXVI. MORELLY Étienne-Gabriel
Le Prince, les délices des cœurs ou Traité des qualités d’un grand roi, et
système général d’un sage gouvernement [The Prince, the delights of the heart, or,
A treatise on the qualities of a great king and system of wise government]
Aux dépens de la compagnie, Amsterdam 1751, in-8 (10,5 x 16,5 cm), ix (3) 168
pp (7) et (4) 188 pp (12), 2 volumes, early 19th-century sheep

The rare first edition, published with the author’s name ob-
scured with asterisks, complete with its folding table of the “Gen-
eral Table of Taxes on a Million Subjects”.
Early 19th century brown marbled sheep, spine richly gilt with
compartments and gilt fillets as well as a title-piece and volume
labels in black and khaki, gilt roulette frame to covers, all edges
speckled red. Edges and head- and tail-pieces skillfully repaired.
Étienne-Gabriel Morelly, the “little-known Enlight-
enment thinker” (Wagner, Morelly le méconnu des Lumières,
1978) – some of his works having long been attributed to
Diderot – is now recognized as the first person to develop
a philosophy of Socialism, or Communism, also known as
Utopian Socialism.
This political treatise, very much inspired in form by Machia-
velli’s The Prince is composed of four very distinct parts. The Prince
as citizen, the Prince as legislator and magistrate, the Prince as
politician and the Prince as warrior. It is couched in the form of a
fictitious dialogue between a prince called Thélémédone (“hearts’
delight”), his courtiers and his confidant. The conversational part-
ners are listed at the beginning of volume one. Morelly precedes
his text with a brief “Letter to a friend” in which he lays out the directly (Le Prince), or allegorically (la Basiliade, le Code), or im-
structure of the work: plicitly (les Lettres de Louis XIV)” (Daniel Droixhe, Une histoire des
– nature, duty and the advantages of all-powerful sovereignty, Lumières au pays de Liège, 2007). You thus have a progression in
Morelly’s career as a writer who until then had only written mor-
– the qualities of the spirit and of the heart, which must be alizing texts with a view to education. The change in focus came
shared by monarchs and other mortals, at the time of the Peace of Aix in 1748 and before the supremacy
– the prince as the figure of the legislator and magistrate who of the Marquise de Pompadour. Conti, who was Counselor to the
sits in council, deliberates with his friends on important projects King since 1747, was eventually supplanted by the latter.
and delegates to them the reforms necessary to the good function- It was thus that Morelly, in defense of the Conti cause, un-
ing of the state, before approving laws (the birth of government), dertook a career as a political writer attached to the power of the
– the means of achieving fairness through politics, of affirming monarchy. It was thus neither an “adventurer of the quill,” nor a
Royal authority, of foreseeing the internal troubles of the state, “marginal figure” who wrote this Prince, but a political philoso-
of achieving constant and lasting harmony in government and of pher perfectly au fait with the problems of his time. Despite its
dealing and negotiating with foreign powers both near and far, pretended fantastical form, the work is sometimes called a mere
utopia; it is in actual fact a realistic reflection on the necessary
– the just reasons for war and the various parts of the military reforms of power: the make-up of the government, foreign and
arts. domestic policy, social progress, and so on. This is continued right
Nonetheless, one will notice that, as opposed to traditional down to a precise calculation of taxes (shown in a folding table),
“Mirrors for Princes”, this work is not addressed to any one par- with Morelly developing a rational and very well-supported proj-
ticular political personality. This absence is a good demonstration ect, thus taking part in the great political and social reforms of the
of the author’s desire to introduce a political project – that of his Enlightenment thinkers.
patron, the Prince de Conti – more than just giving advice to a A few years later, in 1755, he went on to publish his famous
young monarch. In this truly symbolic texte à clés, the reader is Code de la nature, in which he proposed an ideal and completely
party to, throughout the entire first part, a conversation between new legislative system that would abolish private property in or-
Louis XV-Thélémédone and Conti-Philoménarque. As a result, der to establish a fraternal society that would guarantee the hap-
the four faces of the prince listed above correspond to specific in- piness of the human race. Rediscovered in the 20th century, this
stances in the governance of Louis XV and echo the situation of radical thinking would be considered the first Socialist program in
the Prince de Conti in 1750. At the same time, the ten characters the history of France, and its author elevated to the rank of a leg-
with exotic names talking to the Prince are faithful reproductions endary precursor of modern Communist thought. Though he did
of the ten ministers who made up the Royal Council at the time not achieve fame, he nonetheless inspired important progressive
(on that topic, see the very powerful study by Guy Antonetti, figures, from Rousseau, who wrote his Social Contract in light of
“Étienne-Gabriel Morelly: l’écrivain et ses protecteurs” in Revue his works, to Babeuf, a member of the Convention, and the “first
d’Histoire littéraire de la France 84e Année, No. 1 (Jan – Feb, 1984), p. active Communist” (according to Marx), who referenced the “for-
19-52). Daniel Droixhe also defends the thesis according to which gotten Enlightenment philosopher”. de photos
“[Morelly’s] writings would form a very well-constructed whole
expressing the political opinions of the Prince de Conti, whether A very rare copy of Morelly’s first important political text.

> see more

 XXVII. SLOANE Hans
Histoire de la Jamaïque
Chez Nourse, à Londres 1751, in-12 (9,5 x 17 cm),
(4) 285 pp & (4) 248 pp., 2 volumes, contemporary calf

First edition in French, translated by Raulin, six folding

plates at end (banana plant, coffee bush, fauna, etc.)
Contemporary marbled calf. Spine in compartments with four
fleurons. Title- and volume-labels in beige morocco. Head- and
tail-pieces of volume two worn away. Title-piece of volume I lack-
ing, but title clearly legible, giving appearance of brown title-label.
Scratch to upper cover of vol I. Three corners rubbed. A relatively
fresh set.
Hans Sloane traveled to Jamaica in 1687 as doctor to the
Governor, the Duke of Albermarle. He stayed 15 months, ob-
serving the flora, fauna, and habits of the natives, their produce
and trade, among other things. His account was praised for the
preciseness of his descriptions, especially in terms of botany. The
work consists of 13 letters with interesting details, including the
description of a typhoon in the first, as well as an earthquake and
remarks on both slaves and pirates.
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XXVIII. SHEBBEARE John

Le Peuple instruit ; ou Les Alliances dans lesquelles les Ministres de la Grande-
Bretagne ont engagé la Nation, & l’emploi qu’ils ont fait de ses Escadres & de
ses Armées, depuis le commencement des troubles sur l’Ohio, jusqu’à la perte
de Minorque, considérés dans une Quatrième Lettre au Peuple d’Angleterre
N. n., n. p. 1756, 9 x 16,3 cm, (2) xxiv, 212 pp., contemporary calf

First edition, rare.

Contemporary light brown polished calf. Spine in decorated
compartments. Red morocco title-piece. Upper joint with narrow
crack to head. A very good and fresh copy.
An important document on the history of Canada and the
United States. The work begins by looking at the causes of the
conflict between Great Britain and France over the territory of
Ohio. In essence, 1756 marked the beginning of the Seven Years’
War or French and Indian War, a war of conquest to establish the
legitimate occupation of the territories. This war overran the ter-
ritory from Virginia and Nova Scotia to the region of the Canadi-
an lakes, with some American Indians fighting on the side of the
British, and some on the side of the French. Shebbeare reviews
the British defeats, mistaken policy and the generals in Canada,
the intervention of American militias and Washington.
The author frankly accuses the British government (Kings
and Ministers) of having failed to protect the British colonies in
America and predicts the downfall of Britain, giving examples of
jealousy and misguided policy in Canada. As well as this accusa-
tion, the author examines the situation of Britain in Europe, the
treaty with Russia, the difficulties of the House of Hanover and
France and once again accuses his country of ruining itself with
disastrous political decisions.
> see more
XXIX. LA FONTAINE Jean de
Contes et nouvelles en vers
N. n., Amsterdam [Paris] 1762, in-8 (12 x 18,5 cm)., xiv (2) 268 pp et (2)
viij (2) 306 pp.(4), 2 volumes, contemporary morocco

The so-called Fermiers Généraux edition, using the editions of Contemporary red morocco, the spines with gilt fillets and
1685 and 1696 for the text and adding tales by d’Autreau and de fleurons (stars), the covers with a triple frame of gilt fillets, gilt
Vergier, present in the 1718 edition. tooling to edge of covers, narrow interior gilt dentelle framing the
marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. A few insignificant spots to the
This edition was of 2,000 copies on vergé de Hollande paper, plates in the second volume.
the present copy one of the rare copies in contemporary mo-
rocco. This copy is probably of the first issue, bearing in mind the This copy has a few inversions in the order of the plates in vol-
quality of the engravings and a fleuron error on p. 240 of vol. 1, ume one, due to binder error: 257-258, index leaf, 261-262, 259-
later corrected. 260, 265-266, 263-264, blank, 267-268.
The work has 80 proof illustrations by Eisen, engraved by the The engravings Cas of Conscience and the Devil of Papefiguière
foremost engravers of the time (Aliamet, Baquoy, Choffard, Dela- are in the uncovered state, as are those of the Lunettes and Ros-
fosse, Flipart, Le Mire, Leveau, de Longueuil and Ouvrier), two signol. The engraving of Féronde is in its pre-hat state, the plate of
frontispiece portraits (one of La Fontaine by Hyacinthe Rigaud the Other Imitation of Anacréon in its pre-arrow state, while that
and another of Eisen by Vispré, engraved by Ficquet), as well as six of the Ailing Alix has no ornaments on the curtains, like the plate
vignettes by Coffard, of which two to title, two hors-texte at the of the Remedy.
head of each volume and two at the head of the first tale in each
volume; and 53 tailpieces. Brunet notes that the plates contained nude elements, which
were then hidden by alterations to the two plates.
This edition was printed at the expense of the Fermiers
Généraux and is therefore known as the “Fermiers Généraux edi- A very attractive copy in a rare contemporary red morocco
tion.” It stands out thanks to the high quality of its printing and binding.
the remarkable illustrations by Eisen (1720-1778), who made this
work not only his own masterpiece, but unquestionably one of the > see more
masterpieces of 18th century illustrated book production.
XXX. LAFARGUE DE
Œuvres mêlées [Histoire géographique de la
Nouvelle-Écosse]
Chez Duchesne, Paris 1765, 9 x 16,5 cm, xix (1) 324ppet
(2) viij, 359pp., 2 volumes, calf binding

First edition, with three fine engravings by Le Mire after Grav- New France]. The au-
elot, a title vignette (repeated) and two headpieces. thor gives a precise list
of bays, ports, goods
Polished marbled calf. Spine in compartments. Light brown and production, a his-
morocco title and volume labels. Tear with lack to lower joint of tory of the trade there
foot of spine of volume I. Small lack to upper joint at foot of spine and the importance of
to volume II. Two corners slightly bumped. A little rubbing. A very its geographical loca-
good copy. tion for the security of
The first volume is made up of various bits of occasional verse New France, since New Caledonia formed a peninsula in front of
and other academic poems by Lafargue, as well as a treatise on or- Quebec. The author also gives an overview of the relations and
atorical pronunciation. Of greater interest is the second volume, conflicts between France and Britain over this territory. An im-
which begins with a treatise on the reading and above all trans- portant account and without doubt the first on this region of the
lation of the Histoire géographique de la Nouvelle-Ecosse [General North-East of Canada, which became home to a number of people
History of New Caledonia or Acadia], an anonymous work based from Poitiers, who shaped the language of Acadia, and 12,000 of
in part on Charlevoix’s Histoire de la Nouvelle-France [History of whom were deported in 1755 to other British colonies.
> see more

XXXI. SOLIS Y RIVADENEYRA Antonio de

Historia de la conquista de Mexico, poblacion, y
progressos de la America septentrional, conocido por el
nombre de Nueva Espana
En la impreta de Don Antonio Mayoral, en Madrid 1768, small
in-4 (15 x 21 cm), (24) 549 pp., contemporary vellum

Later edition, after the A famous work whose publication had significant impact
first, which appeared in in Europe, notably in France following its translation in 1692.
1684. Double column. de Rivadeneyra was appointed Historian of the Indies. The work re-
photos counts Cortes’ expedition and the conquest of Mexico, or rath-
Contemporary flexible er the Aztec Empire, otherwise known as New Spain. The author
vellum. Spine titled in ink. principally relied on Cortes’ letters and the works of Lopez de Go-
Traces of ties. Binding de- mara. It outlines the numerous contacts Cortes had with Monte-
tached, with significant lack zuma and makes interesting observations on the mores and dress
to foot. of the indigenous peoples. It also contains a significant amount
of economic data on the population and the growth of the colony.
> see more

XXXII. PAW Corneille de

Recherches philosophiques sur les Américains, ou Mémoires intéressants pour
servir à l’histoire humaine
N. n., Berlin 1771, in-8 (18,7 x 12 cm), 326 (24 of table) pp., 366 (30 of table) pp., 247 pp., 3 volumes, original wrappers

The second edition of the first two volumes and the first edi- dites in Florida and the practice of circumcision and infibulation.
tion of the third, which contains Pernety’s defense of the Ameri- Paw emphasizes several times the inferiority of the indigenous
cans and a refutation of Paw. Brunet, 28465. American population and includes several articles on African
Americans, Native Americans, and Central America, but also a
Contemporary blue wrappers, titled in red and black. Very great deal on geographical, climatic, botanical and naturalistic
good copy. considerations.
The work consists in a primarily ethnographic discussion of the
American continent. It contains a curious account of hermaphro- Paw was a Dutch philosopher and scholar who contributed to
the Encyclopedia. Lacks to foot of spines, tables unopened.
> see more
XXXIII. [AMERICA] PRICE Richard
Observations sur la nature de la liberté civile, les principes du gouvernement,
la justice, et la politique de la guerre avec l’Amérique [Observations on the Nature
of Civil Liberty, the Principles of Government, and the Justice and Policy of the War with
America]
N. d. (circa 1776), in-4: 190 x 235 mm (7 1/2 x 9 1/4 ”), 167pp (20), 18th-century full morocco

Original manuscript of an anonymous French translation that Contemporary red morocco. Richly gilt spine, no title. Triple
has remained unpublished of Price’s fundamental and key work fillet frame to covers. Frieze inside covers. Brass clasps perfectly
arguing for the independence of the United States of America. The preserved. Gilt edges. A small tear to upper cover. Scratch to lower
first edition in English is from 1776, and was re-printed several cover. Two corners rubbed.
times in that year. The first edition in French appeared in Am-
sterdam in 1776 and made mention of the preface for the fifth A fine copy in contemporary morocco with clasps. In a
edition. This manuscript is a very different translation to that of fine and very regular hand, attractive layout. Ruled.
the Amsterdam edition of 1776 and only contains the preface of A close friend of Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, Rich-
the first edition. It was therefore prepared from the very first edi- ard Price was the most influential lawyer arguing for American
tions and predates the Amsterdam version, as well as remaining independence. In this work, Price intended to show that Britain’s
entirely unpublished. attitude towards the American Colonies ran contrary to the prin-
The binding in which it has been preserved testifies to its im- ciples of liberty. After defining the various types of liberty, Price
portance, even if this translation was perhaps made only to circu- asserts that civil liberty is “the power that a civil society or a state
late in manuscript form, like many other texts in the 18th century. has to govern itself at its own discretion or by laws of its creation
without being subjected to the will of another power that the pop-
The translation of Price’s work is followed by the translation of ular community hasn’t chosen, does not direct and does not con-
two dreams of Addisson’s serving to illustrate Price’s thinking in trol.” The work enjoyed immediate success in the contemporary
an allegorical way. The first is Songe d’Addisson qui peint l’image de climate, raising questions about the state of democracy in Britain.
la liberté [Addisson’s dream which paints the image of freedom]; and Price rejected, moreover, not only the duties of war but also the
the second is Songe d’Addisson sur la renommée [Addisson’s dream on institution of slavery under Great Britain. Church wrote that “[t]
fame]. These two texts are by a Brit, and confer a British legitima- he encouragement derived from this book had no inconsiderable
cy to Richard Price’s ideas on liberty and British renown. Joseph share in determining the American colonists to declare their inde-
Addisson is the well-known journalist who established one of the pendence.” Decker: “It is said to have had considerable influence
most famous magazines, The Spectator, permanently satirizing on the drafting of the Declaration of Independence”.
contemporary British society and news.
> see more
XXXIV. SCHERER Jean-Louis
Recherches historiques et geographiques sur le Nouveau-Monde
Chez Brunet, Paris 1777, in-8 (12,5 x 20,2 cm), xii (2 f.) 352 pp., contemporary sheep

The rare first edition with eight illustrations (Chinese An important essay on the origins of the peoples of the Amer-
coins and medals, Buddha) and a large folding map of Sibe- ican continent (North and South). The author uses several ap-
ria and the river Lena. proaches to produce a powerful comparative study of languages
(most notably those of the islands of South-East Asia, Mexico and
Contemporary marbled sheep, spine in compartments, rou- Peru), dress and traditions. Scherer’s conclusion, notably relying
lette to head and foot, brown morocco title-piece. Triple fillet on Classical literature and various accounts of voyages, is that the
frame. Small lack at head. Wormhole to foot of upper joint, two people of the Americas had several different migratory origins,
corners rubbed. Headpieces, joints, and corners scraped. A very including Chinese, African and Asian tribes. North America, and
good, fresh copy. especially Alaska, received several waves of migration from the
Bering Strait, via Kamchatka, and from Asia.
> see more

XXXV. DIDEROT Denis & ALEMBERT

Jean Le Rond d’

Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire
raisonné des Sciences, des Arts et
des Métiers, par une société de
gens de lettres [Encyclopedia, or
Classified Dictionary of Sciences, Art,
and Trades]
Chez Jean-Léonard Pellet, Geneva 1777-1779, in-4
(19 x 25,5 cm), 39 volumes, contemporary calf

Third edition of the Encyclopedia, with a portrait of Did-

erot and d’Alembert at the beginning of volume one, drawn
by Charles-Nicolas Cochin and engraved by Louis-Jacques
Cathelin, as well as numerous borders and culs-de-lampe. The
engravings in the collection of plates are the work of Bernard
Direx and Richomme and make up a total of 469 plates (vol-
ume 1: 101, volume 2: 197 and volume 3: 171).
Contemporary spotted brown calf, spine in six compart-
ments with delicate hatching, fleurons, roulettes and gilt fil-
let frames, red morocco title pieces and green morocco vol-
ume labels, triple gilt fillet to edges of covers, all edges red.
It was in 1750 that Diderot made public his Prospectus, an- great deal in the enterprise. A new privilege was therefore grant-
nouncing the forthcoming publication of his Encyclopedia, the ed, but only for the publication of eleven volumes of plates. The
first volume already being prepared. The publication of his Pro- last ten volumes of text were printed secretly and offered for sale
spectus caused quite a stir and the Encyclopedia was, all during its six years later, in 1765, with the fictitious statement “published
publication, plagued by censorship. It was first banned in 1752. A in Neuchâtel”. Following the publication of the first edition of the
Royal Warrant declared that the Encyclopedia contained maxims Encyclopedia between 1751 and 1772, in a folio format, other edi-
that were “liable to undermine royal authority, promote errone- tions quickly followed. Thus, between 1771 and 1776, there was
ous thinking and the corruption of public morality, encourage ir- a folio reprint in Geneva in 1,250 copies (compared to the 4,225
religion and disbelief.” The first two volumes were thus pulped. copies of the first edition). The subscription fee was lower, which
Diderot and d’Alembert did have the support of a number of lit- reflected the publishers’ desire to produce a text identical with the
erary figures of the day, including Voltaire and Malesherbes. But original, but more affordable. It was thus in a similar vein that the
the attacks on this monumental undertaking did not stop there. quarto edition was finally published between 1777 and 1779. Of
In 1757, following Damien’s attempt on Louis XV’s life, the po- a more manageable size and a lower cost, it was printed in 8,011
lice redoubled their vigilance for all books liable to damage royal copies by Pellet, also in Geneva, and was thus a competitor to the
authority and religious dogma. In 1759, the Encyclopedia was or- folio versions.
dered to be torn up and burnt by the public executioner and the
Royal Privilege, which is to say permission to publish, was with- This success meant that copies were widely distributed, which
drawn. The loss of the Royal Privilege was accompanied by a Papal explains the rarity of finding a complete set, uniformly bound.
condemnation. There was thus the danger that the Encyclopedia, This copy is very much the exception, being complete in 36 vol-
having reached Volume VII at the time, would have to be aban- umes of text and three volumes of plates.
doned, to the great chagrin of the booksellers, who had invested a Rare complete set in a perfectly repaired uniform binding.
> see more
XXXVI. CHODERLOS DE LACLOS Pierre-Ambroise-
François

Les Liaisons dangereuses [Dangerous Liaisons]

Chez Durand neveu, Paris 1782, in-12 (9,5 x 17 cm), 248
pp; 242 pp & 231 pp; 257 pp., 4 volumes bound in 2

First edition, a ‘C’ issue copy, known as the “à la roue dentée”

issue, with all the characteristics called for by Max Brun. Issues A,
B, and C were printed one after the other and it is only from issue
D onwards that there were significant differences.
Contemporary brown marbled calf, spine in six compartments
richly gilt with compartments and gilt fleurons as well as red mo-
rocco title-pieces, gilt fillet to edges of covers, all edges red.
Tail-pieces rubbed and slightly damaged, tail-piece of Volume I
partly lacking. Four corners bumped. Volume labels rubbed. Very
faint insignificant marginal dampstaining, a very small hole to top
of p. 141 of volume I and a tear without lack to p. 191 of volume II.
> see more

XXXVII. MAZZEI Filippo & TURGOT Anne Robert

Jacques & CONDORCET Nicolas

Recherches Historiques et Politiques sur les États-Unis de l’Amérique

Septentrionale où l’on traite des établissements des treize colonies & de
leurs dissensions avec la Grande Bretagne, de leurs gouvernements avant et
après la révolution, &c. Par un Citoyen de Virginie. Avec quatre Lettres d’un
Bourgeois de New-Heaven (sic) sur l’unité de la législation.
Froullé, Colle (Toscane) & Paris 1788, in-8 (13 x 20
cm), (4) xvi 384 pp., (4) 259 pp (1), (4) 292
pp., (4) 366 pp., 4 volumes, later sheep

First edition.
Fawn Empire-style marbled sheep. Spine richly gilt with Greek
key motifs, roulettes and numerous horn-shaped tools. Title- and
volume- labels in lighter sheep. Covers with frame of roulettes. A
few corners rubbed. Tear to headpiece of volume III.
This work was originally conceived as a response to Raynal’s
Political and Philosophical History and therefore a number of its
pages are devoted to picking over and critiquing that work. The
present work is undoubtedly one of the most important on
the history of the young United States, and discusses the War
of Independence, the history of the Colonies, law, the Quakers,
the climate, labor conditions, slavery, and son on.
Filippo Mazzei was an Italian doctor and horticulturalist who
came to Virginia in 1773 in order to introduce the cultivation of
orchards (olives, vines, fruit) to America. A neighbor of Thomas
Jefferson’s, the two became friends and the help and advice he
gave Mazzei played no small role in the compilation of this work.
Mazzei was a supporter of independence and was tasked with
raising funds in Europe to help Virginia. He later left the United
States to work in Eastern Europe.
The work also includes, among others, the Reflexions rédigées à
l’occasion du Mémoire sur la manière dont la France l’Espagne doivent
envisager les suites de la querelle entre la Grande-Bretagne et ses Col-
onies [Certain gleanings from Memory on the way in which France
and Spain should consider the repercussions of the quarrel between
Great Britain and her Colonies] (volume 3, pages 217-282), which
appeared here for the first time, and in which Turgot predicted the
independence of the colonies. The Lettres d’un bourgeois [Letters of
a citizen] are by Condorcet.
> see more
XXXVIII. FLAMSTEED John & FORTIN Jean
Atlas céleste de Flamstéed, publiée en 1776, par J. Fortin, ingénieur-
mécanicien pour les globes & sphères
Chez le citoyen Lamarche, Paris 1795, petit in-4 (16 x 22 cm), ix (1) 30 pl 47pp., contemporary sheep

Stated third edition of this atlas made up of 30 double plates A very attractive celestial atlas.
mounted on guards (2 maps of the hemispheres and 28 of celestial
figures, with a total of 2.935 stars. Key to the size of the stars on First published in London in 1729 as a folio, Fortin (a cartog-
each plate). rapher) reduced the plates, adding the positions of the principal
stars and a description of the major celestial figures in 1800.
Contemporary half sheep. Spine with black sheep title label. Flamsteed was a remarkable astronomer and developed the sci-
Binding skillfully restored. ence to a point not seen in the 17th century. At the end of his
career, he had enumerated no less than 3,000 stars as well as other
Marginal stain to first plate of the Northern Hemisphere. 1cm accomplishments: the calculation of solar eclipses, viewing Ura-
cut to plate of Ursa Major. nus and so on...
> see more

XXXIX. DIDEROT Denis

Jacques le Fataliste et son maître
Chez Buisson, à Paris An Cinquième de la République [1796], in-8 (130 x 210 mm),
(2 f.) xxij; 23-286 pp & (2f.) 320 pp., 2 volumes, later paper boards

First, posthumous, edition on Hollande paper. An entirely his death and the work that was in 1771 125 pages long was 200
uncut copy with exceptional margins (130 x 210 mm). by 1778, 208 in 1780, and 287 in 1783. Nonetheless, the work,
well before its French publication, was already known in Germany
Later (probably 19th century) caramel paper boards, thanks to Schiller’s translation (which appeared in 1787 in his re-
spines with double gilt fillets and title and volume labels view, Thalia). Following this version, Doray de Longrais produced
of red and black morocco. Headpieces very slightly rubbed a French version of the same story. In 1792, Germany gained ac-
and a few occasional foxing, but otherwise a very good copy. cess to the full version thanks to a new translation by Mylius. Fi-
The introductory text, To the Memory of Diderot, is by Ja- nally, it was in 1796 that the original text was published in France
kob-Heinrich Meister, a friend of Necker and Frédéric Melchior from a copy most likely furnished by Grimm or Goethe.
Grimm’s heir to the literary correspondence. A superb, well-margined copy.
The novel, in development from 1765 on, appeared in parts in
this review from 1778 to 1780. The published version was none-
theless not definitive, since Diderot did not stop adding to it until
> see more
XL. BAYARD Ferdinand
Voyage dans l’intérieur des États-Unis,
à Bath, Winchester, dans la vallée de
Shenandoah, etc. Pendant l’Été de
1791. Seconde édition. Augmentée
de descriptions et d’anecdotes sur la
vie militaire et politique de Georges
Washington
Chez Batilliot frères, Paris 1797, in-8 (12 x 20
cm), xxxv, 349pp., contemporary calf

The second and improved, augmented, edition.

Contemporary marbled calf, spine gilt. Black morocco ti-
tle-piece. Upper joint scratched, two small holes to lower joint,
two corners bumped. A good copy.
A pictorial and descriptive account of a voyage to the interior
of the United States – to Bath, Winchester, Baltimore, Virginia,
and the Shenandoah valley. When the work appeared, the author
was heavily accused of glorifying the American Republic and the
men who had made it. The work includes a number of observa-
tions on the various populations – Germans, Native Americans,
African Americans – including their customs. The chapter on
Washington is based on oral accounts from a number of officers
and contains several letters disavowed by him.
Label: Library of Hubel Robins. Richmond. Virginia.
> see more

XLI. MACARTNEY George Lord

Voyage dans l’intérieur de la Chine, et en Tartarie, fait dans les années 1792,
1793 et 1794
Chez Buisson, Paris 1798 – 1799, In-8 (12,5 x 19,5 cm), (4) viij, 515 pp. & (4) 412
pp & (4) 399 pp &(4) 326 pp., 5 volumes, contemporary sheep

First edition, with 4 frontispieces and 3 large folding maps at accept any kind of subordination of the British King to the Chi-
the end of volume 4 (excellent travel maps, maps of China, etc.). nese Emperor. China’s categorical refusal to establish trade rela-
Numerous tables at the end of volume 4 on commerce and money, tions laid the foundations for the Opium Wars and the fall of the
among others. Chinese Empire.
Contemporary light brown porphyry sheep. Spine with two This work remains one of the best descriptions of the territo-
different blindtools, roulettes at bands and foot of spine. Title and ries Macartney crossed, giving detailed information on the scienc-
volume labels of green morocco. Frieze border to covers. Head- es, natural history, aristocracy and more...and will be eminently
piece of volume I worn in parts. One corner bumped. A little rub- useful to anyone following in Macartney’s footsteps.
bing. A fine copy.
This account was put together based on the papers of Lord
Macartney and the commanders and ambassadors of the journey
by Macartney’s secretary, Sir George Staunton.
Macartney was sent to China by order of George III as ambas-
sador extraordinary for the first tine with the goal of establish-
ing trade relations, meeting with the Chinese elites and recording
any observations possible on his journey. He sailed from Ports-
mouth in three ships, The Lion, the Hindoostan and the Jackal.
Macartney made his way across much of the country, and stopped
in Tianjin and Peking. Nonetheless, due to differing customs, the
mission was a total failure. For the Chinese, diplomatic relations
could not be undertaken on an equal footing; the ambassadors
should have prostrated themselves before the Emperor and sworn
allegiance to him, which Macartney refused to do, being unable to
> see more
XLII. WELD Isaac
Voyage au Canada – et dans la partie septentrionale des États-Unis de
l’Amérique –, dans les années 1795, 1796 et 1797
Chez Gerard, Imprimerie de Munier, Paris 1799 (An 8), in-8 (12 x 20 cm), (4) viij,
321 pp & 344 pp & (4) 294 pp., 3 volumes, contemporary sheep

First French edition, with a large folding map of Canada and This voyage was undertaken by the author in the hope of find-
11 steel-engraved plates after drawings by the author (Niagara ing a place where the Irish could settle. It is, nonetheless, still a
Falls, Diamond Cape, etc.). classic account of a voyage, with a special eye to commerce and
agriculture. The author spent two years traveling, starting from
Contemporary half brown sheep, spine decorated with four Philadelphia, in North-Eastern America and Canada, with Native
compartments with tools, roulettes to foot. Red morocco title American guides.
label and green morocco volume labels. Speckled edges. Binder’s
label: Grosclaude à Metz. A good copy.
> see more

XLIII. BRYAN Edouard

Histoire civile et commerciale des
colonies anglaises dans les Indes
occidentales depuis leur découverte
par Christophe Colomb jusqu’à nos
jour, suivie d’un tableau historique et
politique
Dentu, Paris 1801, 13,5 x 21,5 cm, original wrappers

First edition in French.

With the folding map at front present.
Small insignificant wear with tiny lacks to head and foot of
one joint, a little light insignificant foxing.
A rare copy in its original wrappers.
> see more

XLIV. CREVECOEUR Michel Guillaume Saint Jean

Voyage dans la Haute Pensylvanie et dans l'État de New-York, par un membre
adoptif de la nation Oneida
De l'imprimerie de Crapelet, Paris 1801 (An IX), In-8 (13 x 20 cm), xxxj (1)
467 pp. et xiij (1) 434 pp. et xij, 409 pp. (1), old half-vellum

First edition illustrated with 11 paper boards and 4 charts, of narrative. Therefore, this is not a translation but an original work,
which 7 can be folded out, with one big map of Northern United to be considered as following the Lettres d'un cultivateur. The vol-
States, one of the Southern part, several charts of cataract in Ni- ume includes countless descriptions of Indians, their way of life,
geria, a warrior in the Oneida nation, the portrait of Washington the different tribes. Moreover, no book contains as much infor-
featured in a medallion… Dedicatory epistle to George Washing- mation and real material on Indians. Numerous instructive and
ton. useful notes on fauna and flora, New-York, resources and geogra-
phy, and the collection is one of the most priceless testimony for
Old half-vellum binding with small corners. Smooth jansenist the history of the United States. Moreover, the narrative includes
spine. Title pieces in red-orange sheep. Volume number labels different testimonies to other states such as Delaware, Ohio, and
with tail pieces. Slight damp stains on the left corner, in the mar- Florida.;
gin of the half-title and the frontispiece of tome I. Rubbed covers.
Beautiful copy, very well preserved. Michel Crevecoeur settled in the United States in 1754, found-
ed a farm (the Lettres d'un cultivateur describe the story) ran-
Although the foreword of the translator tells the discovery of sacked by the English during the Independence war. Crevecoeur,
a manuscript found in a shipwreck, the author is indeed Michel who was arrested and subsequently released, went back to France
Crevecoeur, who certainly used this literary subterfuge to prevent then returned to the USA in 1783.
the attacks against his book and increase the veracity of his travel
> see more
XLV. SIMONDE DE SISMONDI Jean Charles Léonard
De la richesse commerciale, ou principes d’économie politique, appliqués à
la législation du commerce
Chez J. J. Paschoud., Geneva 1803 (An XI), in-8 (12 x 20 cm), (4) LXXXV
(1bc.) 348 pp & (4) 448 pp., 2 volumes, contemporary sheep

Rare first edition. trialized capitalism in his Economic Thought. The latter came up
with a new way of regulating charges, using mathematic models to
Contemporary marbled light brown sheep. Spines with two explain economic phenomena. His vision of the balance of trade
blindtools and two compartments with grotesques. Red morocco is also innovative, with the author explaining the impact of ex-
title pieces. Volume labels in black wax, very rubbed and discol- cessive imports and exports. He also shows the extent to which a
ored. Head- and tail-pieces very delicately repaired as well as head closed economy differs from a liberal economy based on interna-
and foot of joints and corners. Slit to one cover. A very good and tional exchange. The work is fundamentally based on the thinking
fresh copy. of Adam Smith, which regards work as the force driving produc-
A work of political economy, the discipline the author consid- tion, and the role of government as freeing up this work in order
ers the highest of all the sciences, since it is – according to him to allow the accumulation of wealth.
– dedicated to the happiness of the individual. Starting out as a Blue stamp to foot of title: Carles A. S. Alfonso. Black stamp
systematic commentary on the work of Adam Smith to help his on first leaf of preface: Ex-libris Vieira Pinto.
principles and axioms be applied in France, the work moves be-
yond its original scope in beginning to look for the general rules A rare copy of this key work of the history of economic
that govern both commerce and capital. Mark Blaug (1927-2011), thought.
a British economist, considers Sismodni the first critic of indus-
> see more

XLVI. PITOU Louis-Ange

Voyage à Cayenne, dans les deux Amériques et chez les anthropophages
Chez l’auteur, Paris 1805 An XIII, in-8 (12,5 x 20,5 cm), xlvij-312 p & 404 pp., 2 volumes, contemporary sheep

First edition with two folding frontispieces (transportees on a life, the author recounts his arrest, imprisonment and transporta-
frigate and Black people burying transportees). tion to Cayenne. He then gives an account of life in the penal col-
ony. The work includes a number of anecdotes about Black people,
Contemporary half brown sheep. Spine with a number of se- American Indians, cannibalism and the French Revolution. His
ries of triple fillets. A little rubbing. Corners bumped. account of his detention is interesting in a number of respects,
A royalist and anti-Revolutionary, the chronicler and singer though the author was accused of exaggerating the cruelty of life
Ange Pitou, having been arrested several times, was finally sen- in Guyana.
tenced to transportation to the penal colony of Cayenne. He was With a list of the transportees who embarked with the author
later pardoned by the Emperor. Having given a brief outline of his at the end of volume two, including those who died and those who
escaped.
> see more
XLVII. BIRKBECK Morris
Lettres sur les nouveaux établissements
[...] dans les parties occidentales des
États Unis d’Amérique
L’Huillier, Delaunay, Paris 1819, in-8 (11,5 x 19,5
cm), de xvi, 156 pp., contemporary sheep

First edition. Rare. Only one copy in the French Bibliothèque

Nationale, nothing in French and British catalogues and only one
copy in the British Library. The BNF copy has a map that is not
present in this copy.
Contemporary half speckled sheep. Spine with fillets, red
sheep title-piece. Rubbing. Inkspot to p. 92. Stamp to title: Société
de lecture de Genève.
Birkbeck was an English gentleman farmer who emigrated to
the United States, going on to write a travel book. Following this
journey, his correspondence included very detailed accounts of
aspects of American and emigrant life. This work brings together
letters by Birkbeck to friends and an epistolary exchange with fu-
ture émigrés, who inquire about the price of cabins, American In-
dians, and so on...The book is an important source of information
on what exactly emigrants to America should expect.
> see more

XLVIII. MELLET Jullien

Voyages dans l’intérieur de l’Amérique Méridionale [...] [Journeys to the interior of Central
America: including those from Buenos Aires to Assumption by way of the Plata river and back, from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso by way of
the Mendoza plain and the town of Santiago de Chile, into the valleys and peaks of the Cordillera over a distance of almost 450 leagues,
containing some of the richest mines in Chile, the return from Valparaiso and Santiago, the navigation of the Coquimbo to Lima, the
capital of all Central America, the tortuous route from Lima to Guayaquil, and around Quito province, including to an ancient Inca city.
Also including the voyage from the aforementioned capital to Santa Fe de Bogota by way of Cuença, Calil, and Popayan, an extraordinary
and interesting region in terms of its trade, a description of the environs of Santa Fe, the centre of the Colombian Republic, as well as of
the nature and liveliness of its trade, likewise for all the territory on the way to the port of Cartagena, where the author embarked for
Cuba and Jamaica, whose most remarkable features he also records. [...]]
Chez Masson et Fils, Paris 1824, in-8 (13 x 20 cm), vi, [7]-291, [4] pp., contemporary sheep

Marked the second edition, the first apparently being that of

1823 published in Agen, with a slightly different title. Rare. This
second edition appears to be even scarcer than the first. Held only
in the Bibliothèque Sainte Geneviève in Paris. The French Biblio-
thèque Nationale and the British Library, as well as UK libraries
hold no copies. The Bibliothèque Nationale and the British Library
each have only one copy of the first edition.
Contemporary light brown sheep. Spine with 2 compartments
with grotesques, 2 fleurons and roulettes. Red morocco title-piece.
A one centimeter-long split to head and foot.
The author spent 12 years in South America. He left in 1808
on the brig Le Consolateur. “Obliged to move endlessly through
the various provinces of this vast tract of the New World, I began
to study the mores, characters, and habits of its inhabitants. I was
particularly keen on learning how to travel in these climates...and
lastly the various branches of commerce undertaken there.”

> see more

XLIX. BULLOCK William
Le Mexique en 1823, ou relation d’un voyage dans la Nouvelle-Espagne,
contenant des notions exactes et peu connues sur la situation physique,
morale et politique de ce pays
Alexis Eymery, Paris 1824, in-8 (12,5 x 20m) and one atlas atlas in-8 landscape format(20 x 26,5 cm), (4) III, LXXII,
364 pp & (4) 370 pp., (2) and a large atlas in-8 landscape format, 11 pp., 2 volumes, publisher's binding

First French edition. The first English edition preceded it by Before traveling to Mexico twice to buy gold and silver mines
a few months. The atlas is made up of a portrait of the author, 2 and a great number of objects he displayed to the public in Lon-
folding maps of Mexico, 12 lithographed plates (view of Mexico, don, William Bullock was an antiquary and naturalist who assem-
Veracruz, Puebla, and sculptures), and 5 lithographed plates of bled some 32,000 objects, for which he made a museum. They
costumes, finely colored (the plate of the two horsemen has been were later exhibited in the Egyptian Hall in Picadilly. This collec-
omitted). tion was dispersed by auction in 1819, before his trip to Mexico.
Bullock gives a detailed account of this voyage, from which he re-
Extremities a little rubbed. Scratches to covers of volume I. turned with a variety of animals and notes; it includes numerous
A generally good and fresh copy. descriptions of Mexican customs, but also the monuments, fauna
and flora, and politics of the country.
Publisher’s original binding. Small lacks to headpieces. One
costume plate detached. Marginal worming not touching any of
the plates.
> see more

L. MATHISON Gilbert Farquhar

Narrative of a visit to Brazil, Chile, Peru
and the Sandwich islands during the
years 1821 and 1822
Charles Knight, London 1825, 13 x 21,5
cm, modern paper boards

First edition.
Modern half green shagreen over marbled paper boards, spine
in five compartments with gilt fillets and friezes, marbled endpa-
pers and pastedowns.
With four color plates hors texte and a folding map.
Small wormholes occasionally touching text and images. Sold
as is.
> see more

LI. LALLEMENT Guillaume

Histoire de la Colombie
Alexis Eymery, Avransart, Paris, Bruxelles
1826, 14 x 21 cm, original wrappers

First edition retaining the folding frontispiece map.

A rare copy of this in-depth study of Columbia and Venezue-
la, whose “style and precision” was praised by J.M. Quérard. Cov-
ers lightly soiled, lacks to spine, a little spotting.
A rare copy in its original paper covers.
> see more
LII. (MARIE-LOUISE DE HABSBURG-LORRAINE, EMPRESS OF FRANCE) [LAMOTHE-LANGON
Etienne-Léon, baron de]

Mémoires et souvenirs d’une femme de qualité sur le Consulat et l’Empire

– Mémoires d’une femme de qualité sur Louis XVIII, sa cour et son règne –
Mémoires d’une femme de qualité depuis la mort de Louis XVIII jusqu’à la fin
de 1829
Mame et Delaunay-Vallée, Paris 1829-1830, 14 x 22 cm, 10 volumes, half morocco

First edition for these three texts which appeared separately The invention, or subterfuge, of the narrator being a “noble
– they have been brought together here as a trilogy. A rare collec- lady” allowed the author to give a realistic and intimate portrait
tion of these apocryphal anecdotal memoirs spanning thirty or so of the court that developed around Napoleon Bonaparte, as well
years of life at Court. as that of Louis XVIII and the Restoration. The writings have a
real feel of verisimilitude, while criticisms are never formulated
Uniformly bound in half red morocco, spine with gilt rou- directly, but are rather implicit in the way the heroine perceives
lettes, crowned monogram of Marie-Louise de Habsburg-Lor- events. The direct testimony of women on historical events was
raine, ex-Empress of France and Duchess of Parma after Napo- very much in fashion at the time, like for example the Mémoires
leon’s abdication in 1815. d’une contemporaine, which appeared in 1827 and 1828 and were
This copy was bound in chronological order of the historical very popular. A woman of high birth, mentored by Madame de
events as related, without reference to the date order of publica- Staël, our heroine is introduced into the Court of Bonaparte. The
tion of the various volumes. Two other volumes, not part of this literary pretense is perfect in the sense that we are able to follow
set, were published in 1831: Révélations d’une femme de qualité sur chronologically the evolution of the character throughout the his-
les années 1830 et 1831 [Revelations of a noble lady on the years 1830 torical events, in the very heart of the Court.
and 1831]. The handsome copy of the former Empress Marie-Lou-
Quérard gives copious details on the writing of these mem- ise, bound with her monogram. A notable provenance. Ma-
oirs. The manuscript of the three works was entirely written by rie-Louise de Habsburg-Lorraine (1791-1847) was Duchess of
Lamothe Langon, but “with so much haste and so little care" that Parma after Napoleon’s abdication in 1815. She built up an exten-
the publishers were obliged to have the text revised by Amédée sive library, principally of French works. Her books were mostly
Pichot. The stylistic changes made, Pichot added a few chapters of bound in red half morocco with her crowned monogram on the
his own, as well as Charles Nodier. Finally, the task of re-molding covers. Literature, the history of ideas, economics, and politics,
the memoirs fell to Messrs. Hinard, Gainaut and Ferrier, with an- her collection shows a rare eclecticism and openness.
other stylistic brush-up by Pichot.
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LIII. HALL Basil, Captain
Voyage dans les États-Unis de
l’Amérique du Nord, et dans le haut et
le bas Canada
Arthus Bertrand, Paris 1834, in-8 (12,5 x 21,5 cm), (4) xij,
331pp & (4) 351pp., 2 volumes, half Restoration calf

First edition in French with a folding map on thick paper.

Half light brown Restoration calf. Spine with flat bands dec-
orated with two blindtools and a horizontal Romantic tool, thick
blindruled and gilt fillets, roulette to foot. Speckled edges. Small
spots of discoloration to spine. A very good, very fresh copy.
A British naval officer, Basil Hall was sent on several journeys
of discovery, notably in South American and Korea. He undertook
this voyage on his own initiative in 1827 and 1828, to see for him-
self what the young America was like. Despite being a downbeat
warning, the narrator presenting a less than glorious image of Includes a number of accounts of the industriousness of America,
America, it’s worth noting that Dickens, who made the voyage in towns under construction and various landscapes (e.g. Niagara
1842, produced a similar portrait of an America that mistrusted Falls), the author describing each remarkable feature. An interest-
Europe and was devoted to a single law and a single God: profit. ing account of a voyage by a keen observer.
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