Le Premier (-quatriesme) livre de Amadis de Gaule
Paris: Estienne Groulleau and Denys Janot, 1543.
Early Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Very Good Condition. Item #049352
19th century full red morocco by Mcleish, slight fading, gilt turn ins, endpapers refreshed. The first four books of the Iberian romance Amadis de Gaule, early French editions published 1548 (Book I), 1550 (Book 2), 1547 (Book 3) and 1543 (book 4). The last is the first French edition of book four. Woodcut illustrations throughout (many appeared later in editions of Boccaccio, Primaleon, Palmerin de Oliva and other romances), first leaves of book 4 heavily browned, first leaves of book 1 with a wormtrail in the upper margin. A3 in book four trimmed a little close with slight loss to marginal illustrations. Small hole in G4 in book two touching a few letters caused by a paper lift from the opposite page. A few underlinings to text; an attractive copy, very good or better overall. (6), CL leaves; (4), LXXXVI leaves; (4). XCIIII leaves; (6), CXI leaves.. Mortimer 18, Adams A-871. 5 copies of the 1543 first edition of book 4 in OCLC
The first four books in early French translations, book four the first edition. The first four books of Amadis de Gaule represent the "original" story (books 1-4 famously escape the purge of Don Quixote's library while the others are tossed into the yard to be burned), though Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo reportedly wrote book four when he was editing and preparing books 1-4 for publication around 1508. Amadis de Gaule is the most popular and well traveled of the early modern romances and a foundation of the birth of the novel in Europe. The English, Dutch, German and Italian editions of Amadis were all derived from the French edition.
Provenance: Viscount Mersey (Bignor Park label)
Kenneth Rapoport (ex-libris)
With a purchase note laid in "Christies London 29 Nov 1995 to Quaritch for KDR $2200.
Size: Folio. 4 volumes of the 12-volume set. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Literature & Literary; Inventory No: 049352.
Price: $4,500.00