Chronologie Septenaire de l'Histoire de la Paix entre les Roys de France et d'Espagne
Very rare first edition of one of the earliest accounts of Champlain's voyage to Canada, unknown to most bibliographers.
The work also contains the full text of the Edict of Nantes.
A very fine copy preserved in its contemporary vellum.
Octavo with 1 frontispiece, (4) leaves, 498 leaves, (2) leaves.
Ivory vellum with overlapping edges, calligraphic title on spine. Contemporary binding.
167 x 111 mm.
Cayet, Pierre Victor Palma. Septenary Chronology of the History of Peace between the Kings of France and Spain: containing the most memorable events that occurred in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, England, Scotland, Flanders, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Transylvania… with the outcome of several voyages made to the East Indies, West Indies & Northern Indies, from the beginning of the year 1598 to the end of the year 1604.
Paris, Jean Richer, 1605.
Very rare first edition of this collection“of great importance for Canada” (Chadenat).
European Americana, 605/21; JCB, page II:34; Palau, 50667; Sabin, 11627n; Chadenat, 6219.
This first edition appears to be extremely rare. Sabin lists it without having seen it, Harrisse in his Notes sur la Nouvelle France mentions only the 1609 edition, Leclerc does not note any edition.
Chadenat alone owned a copy.
"Contains details of voyages to the East and West Indies, more particularly Canada, from 1598-1604 and the expedition of Du Pont to Canada in 1603, as described by Champlain" (Sabin).
“The entry for 1603 includes: Voyages of the French to New France, called Canada; French well received by the natives; Speech by a native; Malice of the natives; Quebec, etc. And for 1604: On the French settlers in Canada. Harrisse, in his notes on New France, cites only the 1609 edition” (Chadenat).
First edition. The early account of the voyage of Samuel Champlain to America in 1603 contains a description of Sagamo, a speech by one of the Indians, descriptive passages on their homes, religion, and manners. As Greenly writes: "The inclusion in this book of a resume of Champlain's narrative of his first voyage to Canada the year following its original publication signifies the interest there was in Europe about New France, and particularly (about) the Indians." Greenley and the other bibliographers have not noticed, however, that further in the volume there is the heading "Des Francois habituez en Canada." This describes the fleet being equipped at Honfleur and Le Havre for the voyage to Canada under the command of Captain Du Mont.
There are also interesting remarks on the Spanish colony of Peru and a section on the Philippine Islands.
This first edition is very rare: Harrisse knew only the 1609 edition, and Sabin, although aware that the book was first published in 1605, was unable to describe this edition.
The contents of the Edict of Nantes granted to the Protestants in 1598 and verified by Parliament in 1599 are detailed in the work.
Cayet’s biographers judged harshly the religious vacillations of this figure, but no one has disputed the merit of the Chronologie. Cayet began this work only after his conversion to Catholicism on November 9, 1595, and took as his starting point the Treaty of Vervins (May 2, 1598). The success of the Chronologie led him to publish a second work, the Chronologie novenaire” (Picot, Catalogue du Baron J. de Rothschild).
Very attractive copy preserved in its contemporary ivory vellum overlapping binding.
