[Rarebooks] FS - The Letters of Madame De Sevigne, Carnavalet Edition

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Offered today. Pricing reflects a discount to the trade only. Terms below.

FS - The Letters of Madame De Sevigne, Carnavalet Edition

Madame De Sevigne (Marie De Rabutin-Chantal)
The Letters of Madame De Sevigne, Carnavalet Edition

1927: Philadelphia PA, J. P. Horn & Company
Limited/Numbered Edition, Large 8vo  9" - 10" tall, Near Fine/ Very Good+

"Newly re-edited, revised and corrected, including over three hundred 
letters not previously translated into English." This set is 1162 of a 
limitation of 1550.

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal (1626-1696), the widowed Marquise de Sevigne, was 
popular at court and in the salons of Paris not only as a witty 
conversationalist, but as a prolific writer of letters. These letters to 
her son,  daughter, friends, and others contained Parisian gossip, news of 
the court, advice, current events, and other more personal topics. Her 
cousin Roger de Rabutin, Count de Bussy,  and perhaps others began copying 
and publicly circulating these letters in the Marquise's own lifetime as 
examples of the art of letter writing. The letters are detailed enough to 
be considered a primary source for social history of the Parisian upper 
class during the reign of Louis XIV. Her writing style is considered 
eloquent, yet natural and direct, and contains considerable wit.

This Carnavalet Edition is named for the Hotel Carnavalet, the Marquise's 
Paris residence from 1677-1696.The seven volumes reproduce 1079 letters. 
Pagination is 338, 379, 376, 383, 376, 374, and 380 pp. DJs are brown 
paper, with burgundy print, and reproduce the blind stamping and gilding of 
the books' covers and spines.

Volume 1 contains an introduction by A. Edward Newton, a preface by the 
unnamed editor, a biographical sketch, tissue-covered frontis and two 
plates, and a bound-in facsimile autograph letter by the Marquise. Volume 2 
contains a frontis. Volume 3 contains a frontis and two plates, and a 
bound-in facsimile autograph letter by the Marquise's daughter Francoise, 
Madame de Grignan. Volumes 4, 5, and 6 each contain a frontis and two 
plates. Volume 7 contains a Postscript, frontis and two plates.

All volumes lightly rubbed at spine tail and occasional light rubbing to 
tail edges of covers. A couple of volumes have spine heads that are 
"finger-pulled." DJs have short splits and tiny chips at the spine ends and 
corners. Volume 4 DJ has a faint crease to front. Volume 6 DJ has a small 
chip at center of spine. Image depicts Volume 1 which has the most DJ 
defects of all seven volumes.

Bound in burgundy Moire-patterned publisher's cloth over boards. 
Blind-stamped decor to front and back. Gilt crest to front and decor to 
spine. Text block is cut and gilt at the head edge and the rest is uncut. A 
few pages unopened. Volume 1 has been read, but the others are as tight as 
new. Near Fine in VG+ DJs. Scarce in this condition. $400.00 USD

Image depicts Volume 1 which has the most DJ defects of all seven volumes.
http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/428.jpg
http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/428a.jpg


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