Histoire générale de Languedoc
First edition of « one of the finest monuments erected by the science of the Benedictines » (Cat. James de Rothschild, no. 2347).
Sumptuous presentation copy in period binding, one of the finest recorded, offered in 1787 to the General Farmer Clément Cugnot de l’Épinay, guillotined on 19 Floréal, year II.
5 volumes in-folio, red morocco, triple gilt fillet, Toulouse crosses at the corners, arms of Languedoc at center, gilt supralibros at top of the upper cover, spine decorated with the same crosses, double green title label, fillets on the edges, inner roll, gilt edges. Contemporary binding.
395 x 260 mm.
Vic, Claude de. Vaissète, Joseph. General History of Languedoc, With Notes & Documentary Pieces: Compiled from Authors & Original Titles, & enriched with various Monuments. By two Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of St. Maur.
Paris, Jacques Vincent, Printer for the États Généraux of the Province of Languedoc, rue & opposite St. Severin Church, at the Angel. m.dcc.xxx [1730-1745] With Royal Approbation and Privilege.
First edition of“one of the finest monuments erected by the scholarship of the Benedictines”
(Cat. James de Rothschild, no. 2347).
“One of the best local histories of our provinces” (Brunet, v, 1029).
“ A famous and rightly esteemed work ” (Gaston Saffroy).
Complete copy conforming to the description by Cohen.
“ The History of Languedoc is one of the finest monuments erected by the scholarship of the Benedictines, and can be considered the basis for historical work relating to this province ” (Cat. James de Rothschild).
Sumptuous presentation copy, one of the finest recorded, in morocco gilt with the arms of Languedoc and the cross of Toulouse, offered in 1787 to the fermier général Clément Cugnot de l’Épinay by the assembly of the States of the province and the archbishop of Narbonne, to thank him for the “honest, affable, and equitable conduct” he had demonstrated three years earlier, during the settlement of a lawsuit concerning the salt taxes between the tax farm administration and the Vivarais region.
The binding bears a large gilded ex-dono on the upper boards and a copy of the letter from the archbishop of Narbonne accompanying the work was inserted after the preliminary quires of the first volume.
Advisor and secretary to the king, Clément Cugnot de l’Épinay (1739–1794), lord of Déserts and Vieuvicq, of Mothereau and la Moutonnière, was fermier général to His Majesty from 1784 to 1791, after having taken over in 1776 the position of secretary general of the royal tax farms held by his father, Lazare Cugnot. He died guillotined on 19 Floréal, Year II, with twenty-five other fermiers généraux, including Lavoisier.
From the library of Martignac, with armorial bookplate.
