SADE, Marquis de.

Lot 118
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Estimation :
9000 - 10000 EUR
SADE, Marquis de.
The Crimes of Love, heroic and tragic short stories; preceded by an idea about the Romans, and decorated with engravings. Paris, chez Massé, An VIII[1800]. 4 volumes in-12 (14 x 93 mm) of one engraved front, 2 ff.n.ch., XLVII, 228 pp. for volume I; 1 engraved front, 2 ff.n.ch., 274 pp. for volume II; one engraved front, 2 ff.n.ch, 256 pp. for volume III; one engraved front, 2 ff.n.ch., 245 pp. for volume IV; half green marlin, back with nerves, comb slices (19th century binding). Diesbach, Bonna Library, 18th century, 155; Cohen-de Ricci, 922; Gay-Lemonnyer, I, 760. Original edition, unusual. This collection contains eleven short stories of heroic and tragic fiction, inspired by contemporary black novels. As a Warning, the Marquis de Sade delivers, in about fifty pages, his Idea on novels. Undoubtedly in order to escape the denunciations to which he was subjected, he apologized for the sensitive and moral novel and got away with it by pirouetting the detractors of Aline and Valcour: "I answer that I made those of my heroes who follow the career of vice so appalling, that they often inspire neither pity nor love, and in that I am more moral than those who believe they can embellish them". The text is adorned with four frontispieces engraved intaglio, unsigned; they are in print before the letter, as they should be. Margin of the lower part of the faux-title in Volume III and corner of the faux-title in Volume IV restored, some underlining pp. 133/134 of Volume IV. Source: unidentified photographic ex-libris.
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