Les illustrations de Gaule et singularitez de Troye. Avec la couronne margaritique & plusieurs autres oeuvres de luy, non jamais encore imprimees. Le tout reveu & fidelement restitué par maistre Antoine du Moulin Masconnois, valet de chambre de la Royne de Navarre

LEMAIRE DE BELGES, PEIRESC

Published by Jean de Tournes, Lyon, 1549

About this Item

"Edition la plus belle et la plus complète de ce recueil" [Most elegant and most complete edition of this compilation] (Brunet). First edition of the the Couronne margaritique, published posthumously and composed in honour of Marguerite of Austria. The main work, Les illustrations de Gaule et singularitez de Troye, is a mythological and heroic fiction in which Lemaire de Belges sought to prove the ancient Trojan origins of the Germans and Gauls. The present compilation also contains the Traité de la différence des schismes et des conciles, clearly partisan of the gallican position following the Pope s adversarial stance towards France. PROVENANCE: I. Profusely annotated in French by Jérôme Capelle, brother of the Order of Minims. We have counted some 106 annotations in the 'Illustrations' and 201 annotations for the 'Traicté de la différence des schismes'. Some of these notes are lengthy. Three of these clusters of annotations reveal the name of the annotator. One reads : (1) 'Scolies & annotations par frère Hierosme Capelle minime sur ce livre des Illustrations afin d exposer aucuns passages et éviter aucuns erreurs l an 1560' (Illustrations, p. 3); (2) 'Scolies de frère Hierosme Capelle minime sur ce historiographie françois commencées l an 1560' (Illustrations, p. 8); (3) 'Annotations faictes par frere Hierosme minime l an 1560 a fin que les lecteurs ne cheoyent en erreurs' (Traicté de la difference des schismes, p. 6). Further archival research will certainly yield biographical information pertaining to Jérôme Capelle or supply a working list of other annotated imprints in institutional holdings, perhaps also amongst Peiresc's personal collection. Was Hierosme Capelle related in some manner or other to members of Guillaume Cappel's family? Born in 1530, Guillaume Cappel was a humanist, editor of the Mémoires of Guillaume and Martin du Bellay, as well as translator of Machiavelli (1553). The family of Guillaume Cappel (or Capel) was a family of Parisian members of Parliament: other members of this family included Ange Cappel, translator of Seneca and Tacitus; Louis Cappel, ardent partisan of the Protestant Reformation. II. Claude de Fabri (1545-1608), seigneur de Calas, brother of Reynaud de Fabri and uncle of Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc. His ex-libris 'Claude Fabrii' is found on the title-page, with his motto 'Sub fide clara'. Settled in Aix as early as 1515, the Fabri were 'seigneurs barons' (and later promoted 'marquis' in 1657) of Rians, seigneurs de Valavez (ou Valavoire), Callas and Peiresc. Claude de Fabri was 'conseiller en la sénéchaussée au siège d Aix', admitted as 'conseiller-clerc' in the Parliament of Provence in October 1572, replacing his own father. Claude Fabri relinquished his position in favor of his nephew Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc in 1607 and also passed on his counciller position ('conseiller au parlement d Aix'). Bachelor without children, Claude Fabri was responsible for the education of the young Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc and was thus a key figure in the young boy s upbringing. Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc left a number of letters addressed to his uncle. III. Library of Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Pereisc (1580-1637), learned scholar and bibliophile; the work is bound with his characteristic gilt monogram, and his monogram stamp is repeated on the title-page. Peiresc was born in Belgentier (Var). He pursued his studies at the University of Avignon, was a friend of Guillaume du Vair (President of the Parliament of Provence) and was himself admitted as « conseiller en la cour » of the Parliament of Provence on 26 June 1607, succeeding his uncle Claude Fabri. Subsequently, Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc was appointed abbot and lord of Guîtres in Guyenne (diocese of Bordeaux) in 1623 whilst maintaining the right to pursue his functions as 'conseiller au parlement'. Peiresc was given as Christian names those of his grand-father (Nicolas) and uncle (Claude), both councillors (conseill. Seller Inventory # 15818

Bibliographic Details

Title: Les illustrations de Gaule et singularitez ...

Publisher: Jean de Tournes, Lyon

Publication Date: 1549

Edition: 1st Edition