L’Agriculture et Maison rustique
Very rare illustrated edition in contemporary vellum of Agriculture and Country House, the book that had the greatest influence on the daily lives of the French under the reign of King Henry IV.
From the count's library Lucien Passalaqua.
In-4 of (8) ff. 672 pp., (10) ff., (25) ff., woodcut figures, woodcut initials.
Ivory vellum, smooth spine, calligraphed title on spine. Contemporary binding.
240 x 159 mm.
Estienne, Charles and Liébault, Jean. The Agriculture and Rural Household of Mr. Charles Estienne and Jean Liebault, Doctors of Medicine. Revised and greatly expanded, the contents of which can be seen on the next page. Also, a brief collection of stag, wild boar, hare, fox, badger, rabbit, wolf, bird hunts, & falconry (…) In this latest edition, an introduction has also been added to know in which times, months, moon phases & seasons to sow & replant (…) & all sorts of seeds. Last edition.
Rouen, Jean Osmont, 1608.
Followed by:
Clamorgan, Jean de. The Wolf Hunt, Necessary to the Rural Household, by J. de Clamorgan, lord of Saane, first captain of the Ponant navy… To King Charles IX.
Rouen, Jean Osmont, 1608.
Precious and very rare edition of The Agriculture and Rural Household, the book that had the greatest influence on the daily life of the French in the 16th and 17th centuries.
It is illustrated with 22 woodcuts depicting garden layouts and surveyor’s work, 2 woodcuts of a horse and an ox, 6 engravings relating to distillation, 14 figures illustrating the wolf hunt, and numerous illustrations within the text.
“This famous book had more than 80 French editions and its title Maison rustique has endured to this day. It was translated or adapted into several languages. It first appeared in Latin, less developed” (J. Thiebaud).
The Maison rustique is first and foremost a treatise on agriculture, gardening, and domestic medicine.
Many chapters are devoted to livestock, how to make butter and cheese, the farmyard (chickens, geese, peacocks, pheasants, thrushes, quails, pigeons), kennels, horse breeding, kitchen and flower gardens, medicinal plants, orchards, beekeeping.
The work also contains numerous recipes for fruit preserves, wines and liqueurs, jams, oils, advice on distillation, baking, pastry-making, brewing, vine cultivation, wine, verjuice, vinegar, venery, fox and wild boar hunting, falconry, etc.
Souchard lists 109 editions of this book printed in five different languages: French, Italian, German, English, and Latin.
This book was the first to bring together these various subjects for the benefit of rural folk but also of Renaissance students.
From the count’s library of Lucien Passalaqua with ex-libris.
