SULLY (Maximilien de BETHUNE, duc de). Mémoires des Sages et - Lot 209

Lot n° 209
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Estimation :
350 - 400 EUR
Result : NC
SULLY (Maximilien de BETHUNE, duc de). Mémoires des Sages et - Lot 209
SULLY (Maximilien de BETHUNE, duc de). Mémoires des Sages et Royalles Œconomies d'Estat, Domestiques, Politiques et Militaires de Henry le Grand, l'Exemplaire des Roys, le Prince des Vertus, des Armes & des Loix, & le Père en effet de ses Peuples François. Amstelredam, Aletinosgraphe de Clearetimelee & Graphexechon de Pistariste, A l'enseigne des trois Vertus couronnées d'Amaranthe, no date [i.e. Bouquet, Château de Sully, 1638]. 2 volumes in 1 vol. in-folio of [4] ff. 535 pp. ; [4] ff. 463 pp. [ch. 459]. Marbled havana calf, 6-nerve spine, red morocco t.p., double gilt fillet on covers, speckled edges. (Contemporary binding). One of two forgeries of the extremely rare first edition of these Mémoires printed in Sully's château by a man named BOUQUET from Auxerre or Angers. SULLY was thus able to supervise the printing. In the light of current knowledge, it appears that our copy, which meets Brunet's criteria for identifying copies of the first edition, i.e. the printing in Roman type of the "Parallèle de César et de Henry le Grand", a piece printed in italics in the forgeries, is in fact from one of the two forgeries of the famous first edition. Among other distinctive typographical features, the use of "royalle" in the title distinguishes these forgeries from the true original edition, which uses the word "royale". The titles of both parts feature the hand-painted emblem of the House of Sully (3 V's surmounted by an Amaranth crown). The rest of these Mémoires did not appear until long after the minister's death, in Paris, in 1662. Goldsmith, B-720; Brunet, V, col. 589-590 ("quite rare"). Spine restored, label rebacked, split in middle of upper hinge, a few raised quires, corner of last f. restored.
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