Lettres Choisies De Mmes De Sevigne, Dr Grignan, De Simiane, et de Mainenon; Precedees des Reflexions de M ‘Abbe de Vauxcelles, et Accompagnees des Notes Historiques de M Grouvelle (Volumes I & II)

Text in French. Complete in two volumes. 1826 & 1829 (for volume one and volume two respectively).  clxxiv, 288pp, with engraved portrait frontispiece; 424pp, with engraved portrait frontispiece.  Both volumes uniformly bound: half bound in tan leather over marbled paper boards, with gilt decorations and black labels and gilt lettering on spines.  12mos. Rubbed and rounded on corners and around spines.  Text block edges dull.  Internally a little spotting, most heavily on first and last few leaves.  Previous owner’s name, dated 1830, neatly inked at the top of the title page of volume one.  One strained gutter in volume one.

Although volume one is dated 1826 on the title page and volume two is dated 1829, both volumes have the date 1829 stamped at the base of the spine, suggesting both were rebound in 1829.

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal (1626-1696) was a French aristocrat best remembered for her witty and vivid correspondence with her daughter, leading her to become an icon of 17th century literature.  Her letters comment extensively on current events and the people involved in them.