Mirabeau - Histoire Secrete de la Cour de Berlin, ou Correspondance - 1789

This two-volume edition of the Histoire secrète de la cour de Berlin (1789) by Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti, Count of Mirabeau, is a fascinating historical document with a deep connection to European aristocratic history. Content of the work The book is based on a series of secret, encrypted letters that Mirabeau sent from Prussia to France during a diplomatic espionage mission in 1786. • Court intrigue: It vividly describes the political power plays, scandals and intrigues at the Prussian court during the last days of Frederick the Great and the early reign of his successor, Frederick William II. • The scandal: Its publication in 1789 acted like a political bomb. The work revealed state secrets and indiscreet character studies of the royal family, which is why it was immediately banned in France and publicly burned by the hangman. Nevertheless, it became one of the greatest European bestsellers of the revolutionary era. Features of the present volumes • Contemporary preservation: The inner pages document the original binding and equipment of the late 18th century. The covers are bound with a period-typical blue-green paper. The slightly wavy flyleaf inside bears witness to the artisanal craftsmanship of that epoch. • Noble coat-of-arms ex libris: In the center of the inner covers is a glued-in ownership mark (copper engraving) of a high-ranking noble family. It shows a richly quartered shield with a central escutcheon, crowned by a count’s or prince’s coronet. Two upstanding lions serve as proud supporters. This detail proves that the volumes were once part of a prominent aristocratic private library. • Historical inventory: Along the top edge is an old library and location numbering in ink, used for the systematic cataloging of the collection at that time. Band 1 : • Contains the preliminaries (half-title, title page, and a short foreword). • Standard pagination: About 140 to 250 pages of main text (e.g., the common version (4) + VIII + 139 pages or up to 244 pages, depending on the edition’s type size). • Band 2 : • Contains the continuation of the secret letters and the appendices. • Standard pagination: About 150 to 280 pages (e.g., the common version (4) + 148 pages or up to 278 pages). .21x13cm Condition : • Binding: A rustic half-leather or paper-covered time-bound binding, with the covers bound in blue-green or turquoise marbled paper."

Estimation:€170

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