An early 17th century volume, firmly rebound in full leather featuring five raised bands on the spine with gilt lettering and bands. Includes intricately detailed illustrations found at the beginning and the end of some chapters with wonderfully drawn drop caps throughout. Boards are lightly scuffed with some wear to the finish. Boards show edgewear. Corners are worn. Spine has very light cracks to the leather and has firm ends. Interior is gently wrinkled and age-toned with minimal foxing. Textblock edges are darkened. Endpapers are lightly wrinkled and age-toned with the rear pastedown showing foxing. Some pages are creased at corners. Old and gently worn, with commensurate aging. BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! Please see description for more details. AS IS.

Le Recherches de la France

by D'estienne Pasquier

Text in French. Rebound in full leather featuring five raised bands on the spine with gilt lettering and trim. Intricately detailed illustrations found at the beginning and end of some chapters with wonderfully drawn drop caps throughout. 994 pages followed by a lengthy table of contents. 6.75" by 9.75". 

About D'estienne Pasquier's first published book: Pasquier's historical work is seen as an important predecessor to modern history, although he is indebted to the methods of other important Italian historians. He makes frequent use of, and cites, primary sources. Contrary to many other historical works of the time, Pasquier sought to create an accurate reconstruction of the past for the present needs of France, which he held to be in a period of crisis.

He looked to define France in terms of its customs and culture and wrote a distinctly national history. He began his story not with the origins of human civilization but with the origins of France in the Gauls. While he lamented his lack of sources on the subject, he tried to extract what he could from things such as Caesar's writings on Gaul.

Pasquier attempted to contrast France with Rome and believed that the history of France is as great as the history of Rome, criticizing the widespread use of Latin, Roman law, etc. Instead, he had great respect for French literature and institutions without glorifying the history of France and its kings in the way of previous chroniclers. [Wikipedia] 

Regarding publication: date at spine tail is 1615 though date the date at the bottom of the title page is 1617. 

Published by Laurent Sonnius. Paris, France. 1617. 

Hardback is overall in VERY GOOD condition. 

• Leather covers show minimal edgewear and are lightly scuffed with wear to the finish, most notably to the rear lower right corner, the shoulders and along the perimeter. 
• Corners show wear to the finish. 
• Binding is firm. 
• Endpapers are wrinkled and lightly age-toned with foxing to the rear pastedown. 
• Spine features four gilt band and lettering with five additional raised bands and shows light cracks to the leather cracks and wear to the otherwise firm ends. 
• Title page bears underlining and writing in pencil. Please see photos. 
• The interior is remarkably clean for its age showing only age-toning occasional foxing and gentle wrinkling. Please see photos for example. 
• Pages 435/436 are creased and folded at corner with additional creases to some pages. Please see photos for example. 
• Lower corner of page 590 is torn. Please see photos. 
• Inside pages are free of writing and intentional marks.
• Text block edges are darkened. 
• Book may exhibit additional minor signs of age or wear.
• JS20171204

Étienne Pasquier (7 June 1529 – 1 September 1615)was a French lawyer and man of letters. By his own account he was born in Paris on 7 June 1529, but according to others he was born in 1528. He was called to the Paris bar in 1549.In 1558 he became very ill by eating poisonous mushrooms and took two years to recover. This compelled him to occupy himself with literary work and in 1560 he published the first book of his Recherches de la France. In 1565, when he was thirty-seven he became famous after giving a speech in which he pleaded the cause of the University of Paris against the Jesuits and won it. Meanwhile he pursued the Recherches steadily and published other miscellaneous work from time to time.

In so long and so laborious a life, Pasquier's work was substantial but has never been fully collected or printed. The standard edition is that of Amsterdam (2 vols. fol., 1723). But for ordinary readers the selections of Leon Feugbre, published in Paris (2 vols. 8vo, 1849), with an elaborate introduction, are most accessible. As a poet Pasquier is chiefly interesting as a minor member of the Pléiade movement. As a prose writer he is much more accomplished. The three chief divisions of his prose work are his Recherches, his letters and his professional speeches. The letters are of much biographical interest and historical importance and the Recherches contain in a somewhat miscellaneous fashion invaluable information on a vast variety of subjects, literary, political, antiquarian and others. 
[Wikiepdia]

AS IS! Please see photos. More photos available upon request.

International first class shipping includes a handling charge to cover insurance.

Domestic orders over $250 include a handling charge to cover signature confirmation.

#panoplybooks #rarebooks #bookboutique #collectiblebooks #antiquebooks #vintagebooks #bookstore

</font