Beschreibung:

Histoire de la Nouvelle-France. Contenant les navigations, decouvertes, & habitations faites par les Francois es Indes Occidentales & Nouvelle-France…Troisiesme Edition enrichie de plusieurs choses singulieres. [bound with:] Les Muses de la Nouvelle France. A Monseigneur le chancellier.
Paris: Chez Adrian Perier, 1618. 8vo (168 x 108 mm). Final two blanks present, 4 engraved folding maps of New France; Port-Royal (Nova Scotia); Port Ganabara (Brazil); and Florida. Contemporary vellum with gilt supralibros of the Covent of the Minims of Paris on upper and lower covers, old ink manuscript title to spine, edges pale red-stained; in green cloth folding-case. Condition: minor worming in bottom margin not affecting text, scattered light browning from paper stock, blank portion of the title-leaf an early repair without text loss; scattered faint damp stains; binding ties lacking. Provenance : Convent of the Minims of Paris (inscription on title, supra-libros); sold by Henry Stevens to Frank Siebert. Acquisition : Siebert sale, Sotheby's New York, 21 May, 1999, lot 4, $74,000 via William Reese Company. the siebert copy of the first history of the french settlements in Canada, The third edition, second state (the first state with earlier date on the title) this edition contains the final corrections of the author, and thus considered the most complete and the desirable. The map of New France is from the same plate as those in the first and second editions and is the first printed map of canada. The map of Florida is original to this edition. Lescarbot was a Humanist lawyer, who seeking "to flee a corrupt world" after some trouble with the courts in France, went out to New France, serving with Champlain in New France in 1606, as a member of the founding expedition of Port Royal. Returning to Europe in 1607, his account of the New World Histoire de la Nouvelle-France in 1609 created great interest, generating an edition in German and 4 French editions up to 1618 (see preceding lot). “Lescarbot’s History is highly esteemed not only for its great veracity, but as the work of a candid and intelligent writer, and the first history of the French settlements in Canada.”---Field. In spite of his early praise of his compatriot Champlain, the later editions after 1609 reflect an ongoing feud between the two explorers, including allegations that Lescarbot had stolen passages from Champlain's Des Sauvages . Lescarbot removed favorable references to Champlain in editions after 1609 (though while together in New France he had written a sonnet praising Champlain's leadership). Nevertheless, he seemed in most respects a careful narrator, confirming the accuracy of much of Champlain's accounts of exploration and the founding of Quebec, and both men took a sensitive and respectful view of the Indians they encountered. (see Fischer). All editions of this work are extremely rare and very difficult to obtain, especially with the second title present (a collection of poems). Prior to this copy, one has to go back to the 19th century to find another complete copy making an appearance in an American saleroom. Church 372--73; European Americana 618/74--75; Field 915; Fischer. Champlain's Dream ; Harrisse Nouvelle France 31; Bell Library L278; JCB II, 137; Pilling, Algonquian p. 311; Sabin 40173--74; Schwartz & Ehrenberg, pl. 45.