Author: [COURTILZ DE SANDRAS, GATIEN DE] [ARTAGNAN]
Title: Mémoires de Mr d'Artagnan, capitaine lieutenant de la première compagnie des mousquetaires du Roi, contenant quantité de choses particulières et secrettes qui sont passées sous le règne de Louis le Grand
Description: Cologne: Pierre Marteau (1700, 1st ed.); (viii+)564(+15)pp., 16cm, title in red and black, ornamental decorations, index, marbled front and rear endpapers, original full leather binding w. raised bands, gilt title shield and gilt panelled back, gilt cover edges. Crowned intitials on front cover, ex libris on front endpaper. Front cover panel detached from book block, otherwise in a very good condition. Vol. 1 (of 3) only. Very rare. ¶ Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras (1644-1712) is the author of these Mémoires de M. d'Artagnan on which Alexandre Dumas père based his world famous book The three musketeers. Although the text was fictionalised, Charles de Batz de Castelmore, count d'Artagan, has really existed; he was killed in the siege of Maestricht in 1673, an episode in the war between Louis XIV and the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands).The impressum (stated name of publisher and place of publication), Cologne, is fictitious. The Dutch National Library calls Rouen, the British Library refers to The Hague as place of publication.The pedigree of this copy is not avarage. The printed and embossed paper ex libris on the front end paper bears the name of W.L.C. von dem BUSSCHE, most probably Werner Ludwig Clamor Freiherr von dem Bussche-Lünnefeld (1748-1816), Majoratsherr zu Streithorst, a member of the 14th century Westphalian (Westgerman) nobility. The ex libris bears the handwritten number of 248. The front panel bears a gilt crown of nobility with the initials S and C beneath - not to be identified further.A professional book restorer should repair the detatched parts and then this will be a very attractive first volume of an extremely rare first edition. Photo's are sent on request.

Keywords: 17th century 18th century French literature bibliofiele uitgave military history