ALEMAN, Mateo.

Lot 957
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Result : 3 791EUR
ALEMAN, Mateo.
Le Gueux, or the life of Guzman d'Alfarache, an image of human life. In which all the tricks & naughtiness that are practiced in the world are pleasantly & vilement uncovered. Divided into three books. Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1627. Large volume in-8 (170 x 106 mm) of 16 ff.n.ch., 600, 256 pp., 24 ff.n.ch.; soft ivory vellum, smooth spine (contemporary binding). Rare edition of the French translation by Jean Chapelain of the masterpiece of the Spanish picaresque novel. This edition contains the first part of the work, divided into three books. Mischievous and burlesque, this work conveys an undeniable social and moral satire. It is distinguished by its extremely digressive structure. The picaresque adventures of the protagonist are constantly interspersed with ideological discourses on all sorts of social and moral subjects. The popularity of this text was immediate and many editions followed one another. Jean Chapelain (1595-1674) was a State Councillor of Louis XIII and a member of the Académie française. He was one of the drafters of the statutes and plans of the Dictionary. Known for his erudition (his library contained some 4,000 volumes), he ended up establishing his literary authority with this translation of Aleman's novel. This edition is missing from Palau and the BnF. The privilege, granted to Pierre Billaine, is dated February 26, 1619. Good copy, small lacks and stains in the binding. Provenance: religious library (wet stamp, 'Dom. Andegave'). See Palau, 6738 (edition of 1620).
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