LE MOYNE (Pasquier). The Coronation of King Francis I, the J - Lot 25

LE MOYNE (Pasquier). The Coronation of King Francis I, the Journey and Conquest of the Duchy of Milan, the Victory and Repulsion of the Usurpers Thereof, with Various Curiosities Concerning the Churches, Monasteries, Cities, Castles, and Fortresses Thereof, in the Year 1515, collected and compiled by Le Moyne sans Froc. Paris, Gilles Couteau, September 20, 1520. Small quarto, red morocco, blind-stamped fillets on the covers and spine, interior border of gilt fillets, gilt edges (Bauzonnet). A very rare first edition of this account by an eyewitness to the expedition led by Francis I to Italy in 1515, aimed at conquering the Milanese —a claim to the inheritance of his ancestor Valentine Visconti—and culminating in the famous Battle of Marignan. Written partly in verse and partly in prose, the work is of particular historical interest, rich in numerous details omitted by writers of the time. The author, who introduces himself on the title page as “the monk without a cassock,” reveals his identity on folio k4: “I, Pasquier the monk, then ordinary gatekeeper to the most noble… Francis I.” A beautiful Gothic print with long lines. The title page is adorned with the superb allegorical mark of the printer Gillet Couteau, symbolically represented by the large broken knife appearing on the right side of the design, along with a banner bearing the motto “From the great to the small,” linking it to the two small knives on the right, representing his two sons, Anthoine and Nicolas, who were to succeed him. A very fine copy, elegantly bound by Bauzonnet around 1850. From the former library of the Count of Montmorin, with his ex-libris preserved and pasted on the endpaper. Acquired by Émile Rossignol in 1966.

Estimation:€5,000

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