Orleans, Charlotte-Elisabeth, duchesse d', 1652-1722

Secret Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. And of the Regency. Extracted from the German...

London G. And W.B. Whittaker 1824, First edition. Thus, very scarce. viii, 472pp. Newly bound in three-quarter black leatherette, marbled boards, gilt-lettered spine. Very light foxing to first three leaves, and some very light scattered foxing throughout, but overall a fine, untrimmed copy. Although reprinted in the late nineteenth century and again by the Grolier Society, this edition is rarely offered. Indeed, no copies have sold at auction in the last 25 years. Apparently the letters of Charlotte-Elisabeth were published in a much "mutilated" and incomplete edition in 1788 and reprinted in 1807. Both these printings had the names of individuals suppressed and many passages within the original correspondence were omitted. Somewhat later printings of some of the letters and/or the life of the writer were published, again in an incomplete and mediocre format. This present edition is considered the most complete relative to the precise translation of all the letters as well as including a more complete biography than had previously appeared.

• USD 300.00 > other currencies
• ordernr.: 3354

• bookseller: Argonaut Book Shop (USA)