Poème du Quinquina
A very fine copy bound in contemporary morocco by Boyet.
12mo, (2) leaves, 242 pp. and (1) blank leaf. Red morocco, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, corner fleurons, spine with raised bands richly decorated, decorated edges, gilt inner roll, gilt edges over marbling. Superb Parisian binding of the period, attributable to Boyet.
151 x 87 mm.
La Fontaine, Jean de. Poem of the Quinine and other verse works by Mr. de La Fontaine.
Paris, Denis Thierry and Claude Barbin, 1682. With Royal Privilege.
First edition.
Rochambeau, no. 12; Tchemerzine, III, 887; Catalogue of Baron Ruble, no. 561; Picot, Catalogue Rothschild, no. 2612; Le Petit, 245; Brunet, III, 761.
The first editions of La Fontaine’s Works, bound in fine period morocco by Boyet, are highly sought after.
In addition to the Poem of the Quinine, the volume includes The Matron of Ephesus and Belphegor, and the two operas Galatea and Daphne. These four pieces appear here for the first time.
The Poem of the Quinine celebrates Colbert’s recovery, which would earn its author a seat at the Academy.
The Poem of the Quinine is dedicated to Madame the Duchess of Bouillon, who had commissioned him to work on this subject, and to put this physical matter into verse.
Reason told me that my hands were tired;
But an order has come, more powerful and stronger
Than reason. This order, accompanied by graces,
Leaving nothing free in the heart, nor in the mind,
Made me overstep the limit I had set for myself.
Do you recognize yourself in these lines, Urania?
It is to obey you, and not at my own choice,
That my genius is occupied with profound subjects,
A disciple of Lucretius once again.
This last verse refers to the Discourse addressed to Mme de la Sablière, which appears among his Fables, where he discussed the soul of animals, according to Descartes’ view.
Descartes, that mortal who would have been made a god
by the pagans, and who stands between man and spirit,
as, between the oyster and man,
is that held by some of our folks, a true beast of burden.
The other works, together with the poem on Quinine, in the 1682 edition, are The Matron of Ephesus and Belphegor, which can be found in the collections of the Fables and the Tales. It should only be noted that The Matron of Ephesus had already appeared with Joconde. A small ballet, which is unfinished, entitled Galatea, begins with that famous song, on everyone’s lips, set to music by Lambert. Finally, the opera Daphne is also included.
Magnificent copy of great quality, very well preserved, in strictly period binding.
The two copies at the BnF belong to the second issue.
Our copy shows signs of both the first and second issues.
The errors on pp. 22 and 26 have been corrected but p. 24 is numbered 2 here, and page 164 contains the word “choir,” first issue characteristics.
