Les Satyres
Mathurin Régnier was not only the greatest satirical poet of the early 17th century, he embodied like no other the spirit of classical verse satire, even in the eyes of Boileau, who would modestly consider himself his disciple.
The copy bearing the arms of the Prince of Arenberg, coming from the Rahir and Pierre Louÿs libraries.
8vo, 4 ff., 198 pp. and 1 f. Full glazed calf, gilt arms in the center of the boards, spine with raised bands and decorations.
Contemporary binding.
157 x 100 mm.
Régnier, Mathurin. The Satires and Other Folly Works of Mr. Regnier. Latest Edition, revised, corrected, & expanded with several pieces in the same style, by Messrs. de Sigogne, Motin, Touvant, & Berthelot, as well as other leading intellects of the time. Paris, Rollin Baragnes, 1616.
A partly original and very rare edition, notably missing from James de Rothschild’s collection, who owns only The Satires of 1614 and 1617 (nos. 933 and 935), expanded from the 1614 edition by 16 epigrams, a satire, a piece, and 38 poems, making a total of 56 new works, some by Jodelle, Desportes, Malherbe, Muret, Sigognes, etc.
It was shared between four booksellers: Toussainct du Bray, Antoine du Breuil, Samuel Thiboust, and Rollin Baragnes.
“The first editions of Régnier, published during the author’s lifetime, are curiously incorrect: the poet, living from tavern to tavern and gambling house, totally indifferent to his own fame, was the most terrible proofreader imaginable; the editions following his death in 1613 are better.” (Deschamps)
“It was probably this 1616 collection that inspired the idea for the Cabinet satyrique, first printed in 1617. The collection of satires just described was reprinted from the 1616 edition in Rouen, Ve Du Bosc, 1621, in-8. In the same city, at Jacq.
Besongnes, 1625; in-8, in Paris; Nicolas de La Coste, 1635 where only some of the pieces added in the four previous editions remain; finally, in Paris, at Nicolas and Jean de La Coste, 1641, in-8.” (Brunet)
“Mathurin Régnier is not only the greatest satirical poet of the early 17th century, he embodies like no other the spirit of classical verse satire, even in the eyes of Boileau, who claimed to be, modestly, his disciple. He was born in Chartres in 1573, at the height of the Wars of Religion. His father, Jacques Régnier, was an alderman in 1595. His mother, Simone Desportes, was the sister of the famous Philippe Desportes, who was to play a decisive role in his career. Desportes taught the young man the basics of poetry and continued to provide him with advice and encouragement. During the contest with Malherbe, Régnier would proudly declare: “I walk the great path my uncle taught me” (Sat. IX, v. 96).
The collection of Satyres he published in 1608 propelled Régnier to the forefront of the Ronsardians, as well as among the most irreverent comic poets of the age like Sigogne, Motin, and Berthelot, the tireless suppliers of collections of libertine poetry.
Precious copy bound in old blond calf with the arms of the Prince of Arenberg, from the libraries of Edouard Rahir & Pierre Louÿs, with bookplate.
