La Morosophie? Contenant Cent Emblèmes moraux, illustrez de Cent Tetrastiques Latins, réduitz en autant de Quatrains Francoys.

LA PERRIERE, Guillaume de.

Published by Lyon, Macé Bonhomme, 1553., 1553

About this Item

First edition and first issue of this very beautiful illustrated collection of emblems. Adams L-172 ; Brunet, III, 830 ; Rothschild, V, 3328 ; Brun, 232 ; Vinet 841 ; Landwehr, Romanic, 454. Dedicated to Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendomois to whom 2 epistles are addressed, this book of 'crazy wisdom' is preceded by a couplet and a quatrain by Bernardo Poggio, a sonnet by Guillaume de Caynet and a decima by Jacques de Maulevant. It was the second illustrated work of its kind composed by this poet and historian from Toulouse, after 'Le Théâtre des bons engins' published in 1539. The present collection is composed of 100 moralities in Latin and French in the form of quatrains: « L?arbre sauvage infertil par nature Ne faut du tout couper ou desplanter Mais le convient par art d?agriculture De quelque plant, qui soit fertil, enter » (28). « Le cheval prent bride, mordz & chevestre Pour se venger plus aisément du cerf Puis se reprend (disant) qu?il fait bon estre En liberté, au pris que d?estre cerf ». Following a full-page portrait of the author, dated 1552, the illustration consists of a suite of 101 vignettes (71x52 mm or 73x56 mm).The first is a representation of Time, each of the other 100 is an illustration of one of the emblems.In addition to a few references to Antiquity, such as the Trojan horse, all of the figures mainly give us scenes of everyday life in the 16th century: hunting, fishing, preparing flax, plowing, cultivating in a garden, feast, doctors at the bedside of a sick person, harvest of fruits, sculptor, carpenter, dance to the sound of the flute, defense against the boar, nave in the storm. All the pages are framed with pretty, varied borders of foliage, fauna, characters, animals, porticoes, masks and fruits.Some are signed IM or IP and a few dated 1551. It seems that the sober and lightly shadowed line of the figures is due to Jean Mounier and Jean Perrin and engraved by Guiraud Adret.The title page, in the form of a cartouche, is adorned with caryatids, cupids and grotesque figures. Precious copy finely bound by Capé towards 1855. Seller Inventory # LCS-18414

Bibliographic Details

Title: La Morosophie? Contenant Cent Emblèmes ...

Publisher: Lyon, Macé Bonhomme, 1553.

Publication Date: 1553