GERVAISE DE LA TOUCHE. Mémoires de Saturnin, écrits par lui-même, Nouvelle édition, corrigée & augmentée avec Figures. Première [et] seconde partie. Londres, [Paris, Cazin], 1787.
2 parts in 1 volume 8vo [191 x 124 mm] of: I/ (2) ll., 235 pp., 13 plates out of pagination; II/ (2) ll., 151 pp., 11 plates out of pagination. Full blue morocco, triple gilt fillet on the covers, spine ribbed and finely decorated, citron morocco doublures decorated with a gilt dentelle, blue watered silk endleaves, gilt over untrimmed edges. Case. Binding signed Chambolle-Duru.
An extremely rare large paper octavo copy of a new reprint, under a new title, of the celebrated “Portier des Chartreux”. Pia, Les Livres de l’Enfer, 622; Cohen 431.
Pia mentions two editions dated 1787, one in a 8vo issue and another in a 18mo issue. Our copy includes characteristics of both editions: it has the same size as the 8vo, it is even taller than the copy described by Pia and the one of the G. Nordmann’ sale (First part, n°156), it is full-margined, printed on large bluish laid paper with the engravings on large white vellum paper. From the 18mo issue, it presents the following characteristics: “1787” printed on both parts, the word “patie” instead of “partie” on the second title-page. Our copy is from a state halfway between the two editions, not described by Pia, nor in L’Enfer de la B.N., not in the Nordmann collection, nor Gay.
“Gervaise de Latouche (born in Moreuil, Somme, November 26, 1715, dead in Paris in November 1782), lawyer at the Paris Parliament, had put his entire fortune in the Guéméné house that went bankrupt. He wrote very licentious books: ‘Mémoires de Mlle Bonneval’, Amsterdam, 1738; ‘Hist. De dom B… portier des Chartreux écrite par lui-même’, 1750”. Hoefer, G.E. – D.L.F., XVIIIe siècle.
A successful novel from the Parisian lawyer Gervaise de La Touche, published around 1741, this book relates the life of Saturnin, surnamed by himself “Dom Bougre”, who ends his life as a porter in a Carthusian monks convent. The title of this successful work will vary over the course of the reissues: such as Histoire de Gouberdom (anagram of “Dom Bougre”), or Histoire de Saturnin, Portier des Chartreux.
“This is the most beautiful edition we can find of this erotic book and one of the most successful among Cazin’s productions”. (Cohen).
