Les Antiquitez de la Ville de Paris

Two folio volumes of 3 ff.; 802 pp.; 12 ff., 147 pp., 3 ff. (without ff. a3 and a4). 6 ff., 759 pages, 12 ff., red morocco, broad fleurdelysed border and Du Seuil-style frame adorning the covers, large fleur-de-lys at the corners, arms of the City of Paris stamped in gold at the center, spine with raised bands fully fleurdelysed, decorated edges, gilt edges.
Contemporary binding.

365 x 247 mm.

Malingre, Claude. The Antiquities of the City of Paris containing the new investigation of the foundations & establishments of Churches, Chapels, Monasteries, Hospitals, Hôtels, Remarkable Houses, Fountains, Reservoirs, Quays, Bridges, & other curious Works. The chronology of the First Presidents, Lawyers & Attorney Generals of Parliament. Provosts in charge of the Prévôté of the City and Vicomté of Paris. Provosts of merchants & Aldermen of said City, with the order observed in their Election; The Privileges of Burghers, & Ordinances of said City. Judges & Consuls of Merchants according to the order of the years of their Election; with the power of their Jurisdiction, & extent of the same. All extracted from several titles & Archives, Cabinets & public Registers, & private Memoirs provided by the most curious Observers of Antiquities. Enriched with several beautiful illustrations.
Paris, Pierre Rocolet, Cardin Besongne, Henry Le Gras & The widow Nicolas Trabouilliet, 1640.

Followed by: Malingre, Claude. The General Annals of the City of Paris, presenting all that history has noted of the most memorable events from its first foundation up to the present (by Cl. Malingre).
Paris, P. Rocolet, 1640.

First editions of the finest known copy cited by Brunet of these two sought-after works on the civil, religious, architectural, and cultural history of Paris, the work of Claude Malingre, historiographer to Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV.

Eight engraved plates in-text: Statue of Henri IV, Tomb of Clovis first king of the Franks, Tomb of Childebert, Tomb of Chilperic, Tomb of Frédégonde, wife of Chilperic, Engraved stone in the base of the altar of the chapel of Saint Germain, Portrait of President de Thou, copper plate representing the creation of the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives.
The value of the work, which follows in the tradition of Corrozet’s first publications, lies mainly in the additions relating to work carried out in Paris during the regency of Marie de’ Medici and the reign of Louis XIII.
The Parisian Municipality of the time greatly contributed to the beautification of Paris and the aldermen, wishing to preserve the memory; were the commissioners of the work, to whom it is dedicated.

The Annals cover the years 451, reign of Merovech, first king of Paris to 1640. They are dedicated to Chancellor Seguier.
The Antiquities describe all the monuments existing at the time of King Louis XIII, their origin, function, and features; They are illustrated with several copper engravings of monuments appearing here for the first time.

Remarkable Giraud copy, the finest of those cited by Brunet, bound in contemporary red morocco from the Le Gascon workshop, royal binder, active from 1620 to 1653, with decorative tooling similar to that reproduced by R. Esmérian (Ref: Bibl. R. Esmérian, 8 December 1972, Palais Galliera, Annex C).

Presentation copy offered at the time to one of the Provosts and Aldermen of the city of Paris to whom the edition is dedicated.

Provenance: on the verso of the final guard of the Antiquities, contemporary handwritten note of the edition: “Thanks to God and the memory of men” -- on the verso of the first guard of the Antiquities, handwritten note: “Written in Paris on May 10, 1748” -- on leaf a3 of the Annals (beginning of the preface), marginal contemporary note of the edition stating “By Us” -- in each volume, on the first blank leaf, handwritten gift note from the late 19th century, in black ink: “To Monsieur l’abbé Hennet, parish priest of [crossed out], a token of sincere friendship. His little vicar E. Molard vic.”