Paris, Costard, 1775-1776 et Fournier, 1783.
7 works in 2 volumes 8vo comprising : I/ Histoire de Pierre de Provence : 8 pp. and 78 pp., 1 plate ; Histoire de Robert le diable : (1) l., 84 pp., 1 plate ; Histoire de Richard sans peur, duc de Normandie : 71 pp., 1 plate ; Histoire de Fortunatus : vii pp., 100 pp., 1 plate ; Histoire des enfans de Fortunatus : 96 pp., 1 plate ; II/ Histoire de Jean de Calais : 78 pp., 1 plate ; Les Quatre Fils d’Aymon : 108 pp., (1) l. then pp. 109 to 194, (1) l. then pp. 195 to 269, (2) pp., the last one reinforced.
Marbled roan, spines ribbed and decorated, red and green morocco lettering pieces, red edges. Contemporary binding.
221 x 137 mm.
Very rare collective edition of the famous “Bibliothèque Bleue”, a cultural and literary event in France during the Old Regime.
“This Bibliothèque Bleue presents the old popular novels in the modern language” (Brunet).
This edition is considered by Brunet as the most beautiful.
The present copy gathers 7 novels bound together at the time coming either from the Costard edition (1775-1776), or from the new edition published by Fournier in 1783, meaning: Pierre de Provence et de la belle Magdelonne (Costard, 1776) – Robert le diable, duc de Normandie (Fournier, 1783) – Richard sans peur (ibid. 1783) – Fortunatus (rue Saint Jean de Beauvais, i.e. Costard, 1776) – Enfans de Fortunatus (ibid. 1775) – Jean de Calais (Costard, 1776) – Quatre fils d’Aymon (Fournier, 1783, in 3 parts).
Each text is illustrated with a very beautiful full-page plate engraved by Patas, J.B.C. Chatelain, J. Marchand, R. Davaux and Le Grand after Claude-Louis Desrais (1746-1816).
“With thirty or forty volumes that, without offering higher interest, occupy a higher position, the Bibliotheque bleue will soon be all that remains from our literature and our language” (Charles Nodier).
Fine copy in an elegant contemporary binding.
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