Descrizione

12 volumes in 11, complete. A COMPLETE SET, with all of the (often missing) facsimile plates, OF THE "ROMANS DES DOUZE PAIRS DE FRANCE", the series which, under the stewardship of Paulin Paris, inaugurated the publication of the Old French chansons de geste. Although the chansons de geste (Old French epics) constitute perhaps the most remarkable genre of medieval French literature, NOT ONE had ever before been printed. This series includes 8 works in 12 volumes. ALL OF THESE WORKS ARE PRINTED HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND SEVERAL OF THEM ARE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT WORKS OF MEDIEVAL LITERATURE. ***1. Li romans de Berte aus grans piés (Paris: Techener, 1832). Complete with two facsimiles (one folding). THE FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST OLD FRENCH CHANSON DE GESTE EVER PRINTED, limited to 210 copies. There was a second printing in 1836, from a new setting of type. ***2-3. Li romans de Garin le Loherain (2 volumes. Paris: Techener, 1833-1835). Complete with the facsimile plate. The first edition of the second Old French chanson de geste ever printed. Edition limited to 420 copies. ***4. Li romans de Parise la Duchesse (Paris: Techener, 1836). Edition limited to 420 copies. *** 5-6. La chanson des Saxons ("Saisnes": 2 volumes. Paris: Techener, 1839). EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VERY RARE. Edition limited to 420 copies. ***7. Li romans de Raoul de Cambrai (Paris: Techener, 1840). Edition limited to 420 copies. Extremely important. Complete with the hand-colored facsimile plate.*** 8-9. La chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche (2 volumes in 1. Paris: Techener, 1842). ONE OF ONLY 99 COPIES PRINTED 4to ON FINE PAPER, WITH THE TWO FACSIMILE PLATES PRINTED ON VELLUM AND BEAUTIFULLY COLORED BY HAND. THESE TWO PLATES ARE USUALLY MISSING. ***10. La mort de Garin le Loherain (Paris: Franck, 1846). Edition limited to 420 copies, but about half of those were reissued with a new title-page in 1862. SINCE THIS BOOK WAS NOT PUBLISHED BY TECHENER, IT IS VIRTUALLY ALWAYS MISSING, EVEN FROM SETS DESCRIBED AS COMPLETE. ***11-12. La chanson d'Antioche (Paris: Techener, 1848). Edition limited to 420 copies. *** All volumes printed on extremely fine laid paper. The works were issued separately, and complete sets are very rare in private hands. 8vo and 4to. Nine volumes attractively bound in late-19th-century half leather (not all bindings match), the other three volumes in original boards or wraps. Slight traces of wear to a few of the bindings, internally FINE AND BRIGHT. Cole 1832/1, 1833/1, 1836/2, 1840/1, 1842/1, 1846/1, and 1848/1. Vicaire VI, 1185. ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL STUDIES, AND VERY RARE AS A COMPLETE SET--AND EVEN MORE SO AS HERE, WITH "BERTE AUS GRANS PIES" IN FIRST PRINTING, "LA MORT DE GARIN LE LOHERAIN" IN FIRST ISSUE, THE "OGIER DE DANEMARCHE" ON LARGE PAPER, AND ALL OF THE FACSIMILE PLATES PRESENT.