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CURTIUS RUFUS, Quintus (fl. 1st century). Historiae Alexandri Magni. Amsterdam: Louis & Daniel Elzevier, 1664.
One volume in 2, 8° (187 x 112mm). Engraved title, folding map, wood-engraved text-illustrations, head- and tailpieces and initials. (Tiny marginal chip to G1, tiny burn hole to Z5 with the loss of a couple of letters.) Near contemporary blue-black morocco, covers with gilt triple fillet border enclosing large central royal arms and emblematic cornerpieces, gilt spines with cornerpiece device repeated, gilt turn-ins, gilt and marbled edges. Provenance: Baron de Longpierre (his device at corners and spines of bindings) -- Philip V (1683-1746, King of Spain 1700-1724 and 1724-1746; binding) -- L. Potier (bookseller, sale Drouot March-April 1870, lot 1903) -- Bibliothèque Courel (in Lisieux, according to:) -- Roger Portalis (his sale Drouot 1-3 April 1889, lot 295) -- Martin Breslauer (catalogue 110, item 123) -- bibliothèque des comtes Henri et François Chandon de Briailles (Drouot 25 November 2003, lot 64).
WHEN BIBLIOPHILY MEETS DIPLOMACY: THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT BOUND FOR LONGEPIERRE AND OFFERED BY THE YOUNG LOUIS XV TO HIS UNCLE, KING PHILIP V OF SPAIN.
This Amsterdam edition follows the edition given by J. Elzevier in 1664: it is illustrated with two engraved frontispieces and a folding engraved map.
A superb copy bound circa 1700 for Bernard de Requeleyne, Baron de Longepierre, with his characteristic emblem gilt on sides and on spine: a fleece hanging from a bow of ribbon. This emblem would later be copied by English collectors such as Martin Folkes (1690-1754). Longepierre also had his emblem gilt on the centre of the covers: a few years later, this was deleted in this copy in order to gild the coat of arms of King Philip V of Spain. The two volumes were part of a diplomatic present: according to Roger Portalis, who owned the copy and wrote a biography of Longepierre, they were sent in January 1717 to Philip V by the young Louis XV, then 7 years old, along with other books, in three crates. Whatever the date – whether it was 1717 or earlier or later -- the question remains: why send a book already bound for a collector, Longepierre, and not one specially bound for its addressee?
In an excellent example of bibliographical detective work, Vérène de Soultrait noted that during the first years of the Regency in France (1716), the Duke of Orléans launched secret negotiations with the Spanish Crown and sent the Marquis de Louville, an old friend of Philip V’s, to Spain to find out what were the real intentions of Spain towards the French kingdom. To fulfill his highly secret mission, Louville had precise instructions, and these were written, according to the Regent's orders, by none other than Longepierre.
The mission was a failure but, in offering one of his own books, one can behold Longepierre’s efforts to bolster the reconciliation between the two kingdoms.
This copy belonged to a number of other distinguished collectors after Longepierre and the Spanish King: Potier, Courel, Portalis, the New York book dealer Martin Breslauer (cat. 110 no. 123 and cat. 111 no. 83) and the Chandons de Briailles. Breslauer attributed the binding to Antoine Michel Padeloup le jeune. It is in very fine condition.
Willems 1325 (this copy quoted); Portalis, Bernard de Requeleyne, Baron de Longepierre, 1905, pp. 157 and 192; Soultrait 17th century 241.
One volume in 2, 8° (187 x 112mm). Engraved title, folding map, wood-engraved text-illustrations, head- and tailpieces and initials. (Tiny marginal chip to G1, tiny burn hole to Z5 with the loss of a couple of letters.) Near contemporary blue-black morocco, covers with gilt triple fillet border enclosing large central royal arms and emblematic cornerpieces, gilt spines with cornerpiece device repeated, gilt turn-ins, gilt and marbled edges. Provenance: Baron de Longpierre (his device at corners and spines of bindings) -- Philip V (1683-1746, King of Spain 1700-1724 and 1724-1746; binding) -- L. Potier (bookseller, sale Drouot March-April 1870, lot 1903) -- Bibliothèque Courel (in Lisieux, according to:) -- Roger Portalis (his sale Drouot 1-3 April 1889, lot 295) -- Martin Breslauer (catalogue 110, item 123) -- bibliothèque des comtes Henri et François Chandon de Briailles (Drouot 25 November 2003, lot 64).
WHEN BIBLIOPHILY MEETS DIPLOMACY: THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT BOUND FOR LONGEPIERRE AND OFFERED BY THE YOUNG LOUIS XV TO HIS UNCLE, KING PHILIP V OF SPAIN.
This Amsterdam edition follows the edition given by J. Elzevier in 1664: it is illustrated with two engraved frontispieces and a folding engraved map.
A superb copy bound circa 1700 for Bernard de Requeleyne, Baron de Longepierre, with his characteristic emblem gilt on sides and on spine: a fleece hanging from a bow of ribbon. This emblem would later be copied by English collectors such as Martin Folkes (1690-1754). Longepierre also had his emblem gilt on the centre of the covers: a few years later, this was deleted in this copy in order to gild the coat of arms of King Philip V of Spain. The two volumes were part of a diplomatic present: according to Roger Portalis, who owned the copy and wrote a biography of Longepierre, they were sent in January 1717 to Philip V by the young Louis XV, then 7 years old, along with other books, in three crates. Whatever the date – whether it was 1717 or earlier or later -- the question remains: why send a book already bound for a collector, Longepierre, and not one specially bound for its addressee?
In an excellent example of bibliographical detective work, Vérène de Soultrait noted that during the first years of the Regency in France (1716), the Duke of Orléans launched secret negotiations with the Spanish Crown and sent the Marquis de Louville, an old friend of Philip V’s, to Spain to find out what were the real intentions of Spain towards the French kingdom. To fulfill his highly secret mission, Louville had precise instructions, and these were written, according to the Regent's orders, by none other than Longepierre.
The mission was a failure but, in offering one of his own books, one can behold Longepierre’s efforts to bolster the reconciliation between the two kingdoms.
This copy belonged to a number of other distinguished collectors after Longepierre and the Spanish King: Potier, Courel, Portalis, the New York book dealer Martin Breslauer (cat. 110 no. 123 and cat. 111 no. 83) and the Chandons de Briailles. Breslauer attributed the binding to Antoine Michel Padeloup le jeune. It is in very fine condition.
Willems 1325 (this copy quoted); Portalis, Bernard de Requeleyne, Baron de Longepierre, 1905, pp. 157 and 192; Soultrait 17th century 241.
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