Le Nouveau Testament en latin et en français
The New Testament of the Emperor offered to his sister Pauline Borghese.
5 volumes in-8, illustrations, long-grained red morocco, spines decorated with eagles and crowned Ns, covers adorned with a double border of fillets and roulettes with bees and eagles in the corners, coat of arms in the center, small inner dentelle, lower part of one joint cracked, green tabis silk endpapers and linings, gilt edges on untrimmed leaves. Contemporary binding.
204 x 125 mm.
New Testament (The), in Latin and French, translated by Sacy. Edition adorned with engravings based on drawings by Moreau le Jeune.
Paris, Didot jeune Press, Saugrain, 1793-1798.
First printing of the New Testament by Didot, illustrated with 5 frontispieces and 108 lovely plates by Moreau, engraved by Baquoy, Dambrun, De Launay, Delignon, Delvaux, Dupréel, etc.
Exceptional copy belonging to Emperor Napoleon, presented by him to Pauline Bonaparte, who married Prince Camille Borghese on August 31, 1803, at Napoleon’s ardent request.
“He limited himself to giving Pauline some wise advice: ‘Love your husband, make your household happy, and above all, do not be frivolous or capricious. You are twenty-four, you should now be mature and sensible.’”
Nevertheless, Bonaparte harbored few illusions regarding his sister’s wisdom and maturity. On November 14, she departed for Rome with her husband. Settled in the Borghese palace, she enjoyed the luxury that surrounded her. However, she soon tired of Roman society and expressed the wish to return to France, though Napoleon did not want her moving back to Paris.
In February 1808, the Emperor appointed his brother-in-law Borghese governor general of the departments beyond the Alps. On his orders, the prince left Paris to find Pauline, who was resting in Nice. The couple entered Turin on April 22 and received an enthusiastic welcome.
These five volumes remained for a century in the Borghese palace, bearing its ex-libris, then enhanced the Henri Béraldi collection (no. 190), and finally the Napoleonic library of Calvin Bullock, whose ex-libris notes Tuileries-Malmaison-Marengo-Moscow.
Magnificent and precious copy sold for €35,000 on June 13, 2005, 17 years ago. (Ref: Precious Books – June 2005, no. 203).
No. 190 of the Henri Béraldi sale, June 1, 1934, this copy was described as follows: “Very fine copy. Fine and fresh binding with the arms of Napoleon I. Ex-libris of Prince Borghese.”
Among the 277 books in this famous sale, all exceptional and remarkable, 236 sold for less than the 16,000 Francs this one achieved at the time.
