La minorité de Saint Louis

Large in-12 of (8) ff., pp.1-141, (11) pp., pp. 145-456. Full red morocco, covers decorated with a Du Seuil-style border and corner fleurons, spine with raised bands adorned with gilt fleurons, decorated edges, red morocco doublure fully decorated with small gilt tools and dots, gilt edges. Period binding executed by the Caumartin.

165 x 95 mm.

Varillas, Antoine. The Minority of Saint Louis with the History of Louis XI and Henry II.The Hague, Adrian Moetjens, 1687.

Second edition, partly original, of these historical treatises recounting the regency of Queen Blanche during the minority of Saint Louis, the history of Louis XI from his birth to the second year of his reign, and the history of the reign of Henry II.

Rahir, Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 1616; Books seized in Paris between 1678 and 1701, A. Sauvy, no. 262; Nicéron, V, p.66.

“Varillas's narratives are very enjoyable and he has the art of arranging his material with great intelligence” (Palissot).

“Of all those who have attempted to write our history, none has explored it as deeply as he. His style is noble, elevated, and truly historical.” (Huetiana, p.49)

“Before he put his works to press, and when they circulated only as manuscripts and under the counter, he had boundless fame. Everyone wanted to have those precious pieces of history that came from the office of the incomparable Varillas” (Vigneul-Marville).

Antoine Varillas (1624-1696) obtained in 1648 the post of historiographer to Gaston, Duke of Orléans. Working at the king's library, he was later dismissed by Colbert. Madame de Sévigné and Pierre Bayle greatly admired the writer. Voltaire, who found him “a pleasurable read,” made use of his work in his own historical writings.

His works, judged subversive and later considered a factor in the rise of republican thought, were put on the Index by Colbert.

Provenance: Cortland Bishop Library, with bookplate; handwritten bookplate on the title page; library shelfmark on a blank leaf.