Triphook Robert Ed (1 results)

First edition. The title page states that the printing is done "At the Parnasse burlesque, ex officina de la Banque du Bel Esprit, à l'Enseigne de la Facéciosité" and states that it was printed in the first year of the New Era. Contemporary half leather binding marbled boards and gilt fillets. Simple gilt titles to the spine. The binding is a little rubbed. Binding is cracking a little at the front hinge - still holding though. Title page has an attractive vignette of a court jester. To the rear of the book is an engraved leaf before the advert's for Triphook's works. A rare facetious collection, containing 353 pieces in verse and prose taken from various works. -- "This collection contains extracts from various rare works" (Brunet, III, 1466). First edition of this charming collection of French burlesque texts published for the English market by Robert Triphook. The publisher Triphook is particularly known for its editions of unusual texts of this type (a "marotte" is a fool's cap with bells). The texts offered are facetious tales featuring various kings of the Ancien Régime (particularly Henry IV), counts and presidents, doctors and lawyers. Text in French. viii, 292 pages. 15.5cm x 9.5cm. The book bears the bookplate of Sir Edward Walpole, the member of Parliament and son of Sir Robert Walpole (the United Kingdom's longest serving prime minister). However this presents a problem, as Walpole died 30 years before the book was published. The book also bears the plate "Stolen from Dangstein." This was a country estate, owned by Reginald Henry Nevill who appears to have been Edward Walpole's heir (through his wife, who was a Walpole). It seems that the bookplate was added long after walpole's death. The estate of Dangstein was largely designed by Lady Dorothy Nevill. Perhaps the person who read this book of amusing texts found it amusing to place an old bookplate for an impossible author into it.