According to Abbé St-Léger, this edition from Rouen, 1597 is more complete than the previous ones.
Of great rarity with such wide margins, in vellum of the era.
Du Bellay, Joachim. The French Works of Joachim Du Bellay, Angevin Gentleman and excellent poet of this time. To the Most Christian King Henry III. Rouen, at the widow Thomas Mallard, 1597.
In-12 of (12) ff., 528. Rigid vellum with overlays, smooth spine, red edges. Binding of the time.146 x 78 mm.
Original collective edition of the Works of Du Bellay.
According to Abbé St-Léger, this edition is more complete than the previous ones.
Brunet, I, 749.
It presents the complete Work of the poet: The Defense and Illustration of the French Language, the Olive, the Collection of Poems, the Regrets, the Rustic Games.Du Bellay (1522-1560) met Pierre de Ronsard in 1547. From that memorable day dates his poetic vocation.Around Ronsard, he imposed the task of preparing a poetic revolution. In 1549, Du Bellay published the ‘Defense and Illustration of the French Language’. This work is the manifesto of Ronsard’s school, otherwise known as ‘the Brigade’ (which would soon take the name of the Pléiade). It is known that the first article of its program is the rehabilitation of the French language. Acting as the spokesperson for his friends (Ronsard, Antoine de Baïf, Ponthus de Thyard, Rémi Belleau, Jodelle, Dorat) – Du Bellay demands abandoning the old poetry of Marot and the rhétoriqueurs, as well as the fixed-form genres practiced in France until that day. They must be boldly replaced with the elegy, the ode, the epic, in short, all the genres honored by the Ancients. Furthermore, he wishes to enrich the language by creating new words. This manifesto, as is known, is less interesting for its content than for the fervor that animates it.
Furthermore, Du Bellay was keen to assert his priority as the introducer of the love sonnet in France: ‘Yet I can boast / That in France I am / Among the first who dared to speak / Of their loves on the Tuscan lyre. ’
‘Du Bellay is considered one of the most beautiful ornaments of his century. A reputation he fully justifies. For if he is far from having the power of Ronsard, and, let’s say, his richness and variety, Du Bellay seems more sincere in the expression of feelings. By his very sensitivity, as well as by his pessimism, Joachim Du Bellay introduces a new source of inspiration into French poetry, and, as such, he appears in some manner as an ancestor of the Romantics.’ Roland Purnal.
Precious copy bound in ivory vellum of the time.
Deschamps in the supplement to Brunet, mentions only copies in later bindings. In 1997, 25 years ago, the copy Benzon, bound in the XIXè century by Thibaron-Joly, with margins 5 mm shorter, was sold for 45,000 FF (6,880 €).
