COMMYNES (Philippe de). Mémoires de Messire Philippe de Comi - Lot 37

COMMYNES (Philippe de). Mémoires de Messire Philippe de Comines, seigneur d'Argenton, où l'on trouve l'histoire des rois de France Louis XI et Charles VIII, depuis l'an 1464 iusques en 1498. Nouvelle édition, revue... avec un recueil de traités, lettres, contrats et instructions... par messieurs Godefroy, augmentée par M. l'abbé Lenglet Du Fresnoy. A Londres, et se trouve à Paris, chez Rollin, 1747. 4 volumes in-4, red morocco, 5-ribbed spine, gilt title and tomaison, small-iron ornamented caissons, triple gilt fillet and serrated roulette on covers, double gilt fillet on edges, 2 gilt roulettes and 2 gilt filets on chasses, gilt edges [J. Clarke] (spines slightly faded, light rubbing to spines, a few browned pages). A fine copy of the best early edition of Commynes' Mémoires. It is illustrated hors-texte with copper engravings: 1 frontispiece by Duflos after B. Picart, 4 portraits (Louis XI, Ph. de Commynes, Charles le Hardi and Charles VIII), and 2 folding genealogical tables. A large paper copy, enriched with 52 plates published in Paris by Odieuvre: 49 portraits, 2 views of battles, 1 scene showing Louis XI presiding over an assembly. It also contains the portrait of Maurice de Saxe drawn and copper-engraved by Babel, as well as the dedication leaf by Lenglet Dufrénoy, which has been removed from most copies. Provenance: Reverend Richard Pulteney (engraved armorial bookplate), probably R. Thomas Pulteney (1811/1874). (Brunet II, 191-192).