MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SULLY, Prime Minister to Henry the Great.

Scott, Walter, ed. (attributed).

About this Item

Translated from the French, a New Edition, revised and corrected; with additional Notes and an Historical Introductions attributed to Sir Walter Scott. 4 Volumes. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854. Small 8vo. Volume 1: xii, 509pp. Frontispiece of Sully; Volume 2: xi, 454pp. Frontispiece of Henry IV; Volume 3: x, 432pp. Frontispiece of Coligny; Volume 4: ix, 503pp. Frontispiece of Marie de Medici. Advertisements for other books in the Bohn series on the endpapers. Uniformly bound in blue blind stamped patterned cloth. Neat previous owner's stamp on each title page. Remarkably fresh condition for a Bohn publication as often the volumes fade or get worn out from use. Near fine. Maximilian de Bethune, Duke of Sully, was a soldier, statesman and counselor to Henry the IV of France. Sully is known for his role in building a strong centralized administrative system in France using highly effective new administrative techniques, which helped to revitalize France after the European Religious Wars. From Wikipedia: Sully was very unpopular because he was a favorite and was seen as selfish, obstinate, and rude. He was hated by most Catholics because he was a Protestant, and by most Protestants because he was faithful to the king. He amassed a large personal fortune, and his jealousy of all other ministers and favorites was extravagant. Nevertheless, he was an excellent man of business, inexorable in punishing malversation and dishonesty on the part of others, and opposed to ruinous court expenditures that was the bane of almost all European monarchies in his day. He was gifted with executive ability, with confidence and resolution, with fondness for work, and above all with deep devotion to his master. He was implicitly trusted by Henry IV and proved himself the most able assistant of the king in dispelling the chaos into which the religious and civil wars had plunged France. After Henry IV, Sully was a major driving force behind the happy transformation in France between 1598 and 1610, in which agriculture and commerce benefitted, and peace and internal order were re-established. Seller Inventory # 009325

Bibliographic Details

Title: MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SULLY, Prime Minister...

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Near Fine