PRÉVOST (Antoine-François). Mémoires et avantures d'un homme - Lot 64

PRÉVOST (Antoine-François). Mémoires et avantures d'un homme de qualité qui s'est retiré du monde. ÀAmsterdam et à Leipzig, chez Arkstée Merkus, 1759. 8volumes small in-12. -Hardcover: Suite de l'Histoire du chevalier DesGrieux, et de Manon Lescaut. ÀAmsterdam, chez Marc-Michel Rey, 1762. 2 volumes small in-12. -A total of 10 small in-12 volumes in homogeneous brown calf bindings, smooth spines with partitions and fleurons, continuous garnet and brown titles and tomatis, filleted spines, marbled edges; the first volume has a tear at the head (period binding). Mémoires et avantures d'un homme de qualité. I: (4of which the second blank)-vii-(one)-222pp. -II: (4of which the 2nd blank)-232pp. -III: (4of which the 2nd blank)-306p. -IV: (4of which the 2 white versos)-190pp. -V: (4of which the 2 white versos)-iv [misquoted v]-287-(one white)pp. -VI: (4of which the 2 white versos)-312pp. -VII: (4of which the 2 white versos)-186pp. -VIII: (2d of which the second white)-154pp. -Suite. IX: (4of which the 2 versos are white)-240pp. -X: (4of which the 2 versos are white)-216pp. -Volumes I and VIII probably lacking false titles, "Avis de l'auteur" concerning Manon Lescaut erroneously bound in vol.I instead of vol.II, ff.G3 andG4 inverted by the binder in vol.VIII. Last edition corrected by the author, offering the text of the 1753 edition (with the added episode of the Italian prince) but with stylistic and spelling corrections. Very rare. "This work, published with the privilege of His Majesty the King of Poland Elector of Saxony, is printed with the greatest care on excellent watermarked paper. It was printed in a small number of copies, in our opinion, for Grands of the period (Madame DuBarry owned one, the one we have before us belonged [to the Princesse de Tingry])" (Max Brun, n°XL, p.385). Bound with the original edition of the "Suite" de Manon Lescaut, sometimes attributed to Abbé Prévost or even Choderlos de Laclos, and now generally given to a certain de Courcelles (according to Quérard and Barbier). A 1760 edition mentioned by Arsène Houssaye has never been found. Provenance: Princesse de Tingry (copper-engraved armorial bookplate). Éléonore-Pulchérie DesLaurents, daughter of the Marquis de Saint-Alexandre, married Charles-François de Montmorency, Prince de Tingry. -Marquis Ernest-Gabriel DesRoys (armorial bookplate of Château de Gaillefontaine in Seine-Maritime). -Clermont-Tonnerre family (armorial bookplate). -Baron de LaChaise (bookplate vignette). A copy mentioned by Max Brun in his "Contribution bibliographique sur les éditions des Mémoires et avantures d'un homme de qualité et de Manon Lescaut publiés du vivant de l'abbé Prévost" (published as an appendix to the edition of Manon Lescaut given to the Club des libraires de France in 1960, pp.358-359 and pp.385-387).