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ROSALIE ET GERBLOIS
Bound with L’HOMME SAUVAGE
Paris, 1796 & 1792 • Full Red Morocco Leather • Elaborate Gilt Spine
Two Works in One Volume • Engraved Frontispiece
Two works of eighteenth-century French fiction gathered in a richly decorated full crimson-red morocco leather binding, with gilt page edges and an exceptionally ornamental smooth spine.
The volume contains Mercier de Compiègne’s Rosalie et Gerblois, illustrated with an engraved frontispiece, followed by both volumes of L’Homme sauvage, in the French version by Louis-Sébastien Mercier after Johann Gottlob Benjamin Pfeil.
Two works in three separately paginated parts, bound together in one physical volume.
The Binding
Full crimson-red morocco leather, unsigned. Gilt foliate borders frame both covers, with ornamental details at the corners.
The smooth spine is divided into decorative panels combining scalloped patterns, small stars, floral tools and fringed ornaments, including a naturalistic gilt rose. It is lettered “Rosalie et Gerblois” and dated 1796.
Further gilt tooling ornaments the board edges and turn-ins. Patterned endpapers and gilt page edges complete the binding.
The strong red leather, bright gold tooling and varied spine decoration give the volume particular appeal for collectors of French fine bindings.
Contents
1. MERCIER DE COMPIÈGNE, Claude-François-Xavier.
Rosalie et Gerblois, Nouvelle Historique.
Paris: Chez Louis, 1796. Third edition. Engraved frontispiece; 176 pages.
A sentimental historical narrative, including the prefatory discussion “Utilité des romans nationaux.”
2. PFEIL, Johann Gottlob Benjamin; French version by Louis-Sébastien Mercier.
L’Homme sauvage, ou Aventures d’Azeb, Zidzem et Zaka.
Paris: Chez tous les marchands de nouveautés, 1792. Two volumes, 180 and 179 pages.
A work of philosophical fiction exploring nature, civilization and human conduct. Both title pages are present. The first volume bears the dating formula “L’An IV de la Liberté”; the second concludes “Fin du Tome second et dernier.”
Mercier de Compiègne and Louis-Sébastien Mercier are different writers, represented here by the opening narrative and the French version of the second work respectively.
Condition
An attractive, firmly bound volume with visible wear.
The red morocco retains strong color and bright gilt decoration. There is rubbing at the joints, corners, board edges and spine extremities, with slight leather loss at the foot of the spine. Scattered surface marks, small scratches and localized darkening are present.
Both boards remain attached, and the binding is firm. The gilt page edges remain attractive.
Internally generally clean, with occasional spotting, toning, staining and handling wear. A small marginal tear or loss near the end of the second volume of L’Homme sauvage does not affect the printed text.
The engraved frontispiece and both L’Homme sauvage title pages are present. Pagination: 176; 180; 179 pages.
Please examine the photographs for the spine ends, joints, title pages, frontispiece and marginal defect.
Bibliographical Details
• Titles: Rosalie et Gerblois; L’Homme sauvage
• Publication dates: 1796 and 1792
• Place: Paris
• Language: French
• Contents: Two works in three separately paginated parts
• Physical volumes: One
• Pagination: 176; 180; 179 pages
• Illustration: Engraved frontispiece to Rosalie et Gerblois
• Binding: Full red morocco leather, extensively gilt
• Binder: Unsigned
• Page edges: Gilt
