Paris, Au dépôt de la librairie grecque-latine-allemande, 1820.
[Followed by] : FONTANES, Louis de. Les tombeaux de Saint-Denis, ou le retour de l’exilé.
Paris, Le Normant, 1817.
2 works bound in 1 volume 8vo [204 x 125 mm] of: (5) bl.ll. including 3 covered with notes handwritten in ink, vi pp., 116 pp., (1) l., (7) blank ll. covered with notes handwritten in ink. Restoration in the lower margin of the note l. not touching the text. Copy containing the cancels on pp. 11-12 pp. Full marbled Havana calf, gilt borders around the covers, decorated flat spine, marbled edges. Contemporary binding.
“Highly important and rare collection of poems, of which only 500 copies were published in 1820”.
(Clouzot, Guide du bibliophile, p. 176).
Vicaire, Manuel de l’amateur de livres du XIXe siècle, IV, 950 ; Bibliothèque Rahir, p. 491.
“Most of the time really simply bound at the time. Don’t be too demanding, if needed settle for a half-sheepskin if the copy is in good condition” (M. Clouzot).
“This starting point and masterpiece by Lamartine, was first published without the author’s name; how humble! Rare first edition.” Carteret, II, p.17.
Lagarde and Michard have dedicated many pages to Lamartine: “For the public of 1820 this thin 24-poems collection had the effect of a Revolution on poetry”. » (Lagarde and Michard).
“In March of 1820, a thin volume of 24 poems resonates in the world of romantic poetry. His author, an almost unknown, handsome, ardent and ambitious 30-year-old young man from Burgundy aspires to succeed in public life. […] The ‘Poetic Meditations’ were published without the author’s name in 1820. Quickly identified, the author gloats: “they have met with a universal and unheard of success!” Their influence will be considerable.” (En Français dans le texte, n°227)
Beautiful copy bound in full marbled decorated contemporary calf, not in a simple half-sheepskin, a condition deemed acceptable for this “highly important and rare” edition according to the bibliographer M. Clouzot.
Historic, literary and highly bibliophilic copy coming from the Montculot Castle (Urcy, 24110). This castle belonged to Lamartine’s uncle, but he inherited the property in 1826 where he wrote several “Meditations”.
This volume in enriched with about twenty handwritten pages, bound at the time at the beginning and at the end of the volume, with the active handwritten participation of Lamartine himself.
Each of these poems, handwritten with ink and quill, most of them unpublished before, come along with a brief introduction, handwritten as well:
-« Impromptu fait à Lyon et envoyé à Papa par M. de La Martine, 1835 »…
-« Deux sœurs demandaient à M. de Lamartine de leur écrire quelques petits vers au commencement de leurs albums. Il leur écrivit ceci (two handwritten manuscripts follow)… Les mots soulignés ont été écrits par M. de La Martine lui-même, à Montculot le 31 janvier 1831 ». Then comes a 2-pages poem with few words written by the author and underlined.
-« Ces vers ont été faits le 24 janvier 1831 au Château de Montculot – Departement Cote d’or ».
-« A Madame Desbordes Valmore. En réponse aux Stances insérées par elle dans le Keapsak. Par M. de Lamartine. »…
One of the most precious copies of this beautiful and important first edition.
Provenance: Library of Paul de Cauville (ex-libris with arms).
