Beschreibung:

TRIOMPHE -- Le triumphe des neuf preux, ouquel sont contenus tous les fais et proesses quilz ont achevez durant leurs vies, avec lystoire de bertran de guesclin. Abbeville: Pierre Gérard 30th May 1487. Chancery 2° (272 x 194mm). Collation: AA 8 BB 4 (AA1 . blank, AA1 v dedication cut, AA2 . -3 . anonymous author's dedication to King Charles VIII of France, incipit: Je qui pour ma petitesse ne veuil presumer , AA3 v blank, AA4 . -BB4 v table of rubrics); a-h 8 i 6 k-l 8 m-n 6 o-r 2 r 8 s 6 (a1 . Cy commence le compileur de ce livre a iosue le premier des preux , incipit: Pour entamer nostre euvre et pour donner a cognoistre aux lisans lentendement de nostre intencion , b4 . les fais du roy david , e8 . les fais de iudas le preux machabeus , g5 . Et vueil commencer pour la seconde ierarchie aux trois payens. Et premierement au puissant roy alexandre, p5 . Le prologue du compileur de ce present volume sur les fais du preux hector de troye) ; s-y 8 z 10 (s1 . les fais et proesses de iulius cesar); aa-gg 8 hh 6 ii 8 kk-ll 6 (aa1 . listoire du noble roy artus de bretaigne , cc3 . histoire du preux empereur charles le grant , ee2 . prologue to Godfrey of Bouillon, incipit: Quant le pelerin qui par longue espace de temps a erre, gg6 . La conclusion de lacteur et de la vision quil eut de bertran de guesclin connestable de france qui le requist mettre ses fais et proesses ou livre des preux , gg7 . prologue to Bertrand Du Guesclin, incipit: Moy donc ainsi abstraint tant par le commandement de dame triumphe ma conductiere comme par la requeste du chevalier bertran , ll6 . colophon: Cy fine le livre intitule le triumphe des neuf preux ... Et a este imprime en la ville dabbeville par Pierre gerard et finy le penultime iour de may lan mil. quatre cens quatre vingtz et sept, ll6 v blank). 288 leaves. Bâtarde type Gérard 1:109 = Dupré (Paris) 5:109, double column, 34 lines and headline. Full-page woodcut of the author presenting his work to the king, 10 half-page woodcuts showing full-length portraits of the Nine Worthies and Bertrand Du Guesclin. Contemporary manuscript rubrication: initials and paragraph marks in red and blue. (Some worming at beginning and end slightly affecting text, a few minor stains). Eighteenth-century English mottled calf, gilt arms added on sides, gilt spine (rebacked, original strip laid down), red edges. Provenance : Mareste family of Northern France (illuminated arms on ai . , early inscription below colophon Dalge Demareste ); unidentified early-18th-century engraved armorial bookplate mounted on AA3 . ; Bibliothèque royale, France (two red library stamps, one marking the book a duplicate); John Louis Goldsmid (1815 Evans sale, London, arms added to covers); Sir Thomas Phillipps (Robinson label); Albert Ehrman (Broxbourne Library bookplates), purchased 1950. RARE FIRST EDITION of a late but important and anonymous romance of chivalry. In his dedication to the King, the author describes his vision of Dame Triumphe, who asks him to recount the exploits of the nine most valiant knights in history, so that she can bestow her laurel crown to the worthiest of them. The Nine Worthies are divided into Jewish (Joshua, David, Judas Maccabaeus), pagan (Alexander the Great, Hector of Troy, Julius Caesar , and Christian heroes (King Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon). Just when the author thinks that his work is finished at last, repeatedly stating how old and tired he is, he has another vision; this time it is the Constable of France in the Hundred Years' War, Bertrand Du Guesclin, who pleads that his heroics be added. Du Guesclin is described as ung bachelier bien arme de toutes pieces excepte la teste qui de nouveau estoit tondue , exactly as he appears in the accompanying woodcut. The third and last book from the only 15th-century press at Abbeville (Picardy). Gérard printed his books with materials, and perhaps the help, of the Parisian shop of Jean Dupré. The eleven illustrations belong to the finest cut i