1550 Cronique et Histoire Faicte et composee par feu Messire Philippe de Comines

A mid-16th century edition of this important work of statecraft, which both revealed the inner workings of Renaissance-era kingdoms and also instructed future leaders in tactics.

About the Author and Work -

Philippe de Commines (1447 –1511) was a writer and diplomat in the courts of Burgundy and France. He has been called "the first truly modern writer" (Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve) and "the first critical and philosophical historian since classical times" (Oxford Companion to English Literature). Neither a chronicler nor a historian in the usual sense of the word, his analyses of the contemporary political scene are what made him virtually unique in his own time.

In 1498 (fifteen years after the death of Louis XI of France), Commines's Memoires was completed (first published in 1524 in Paris), and is considered a historical record of immense importance, largely because of its author's cynical and forthright attitude to the events and machinations he had witnessed. His writings reveal many of the less savoury aspects of the reign of Louis XI, and Commines related them without apology, insisting that the late king's virtues outweighed his vices. He is regarded as a major primary source for 15th-century European history.

The Mémoires are divided into "books", the first six of which were written between 1488 and 1494, and relate the course of events from the beginning of Commines' career (1464) up to the death of King Louis. The remaining two books were written between 1497 and 1501 (printed in 1528), and deal with the Italian wars, ending in the death of King Charles VIII of France.

Commines' scepticism is summed up in his own words: Car ceux qui gagnent en ont toujours l'honneur ("For the honours always go to the winners").

Bibliographic Details -

A reprint of the 1549 edition.

Universal Short Title Catalogue number 40763; six copies in the world's libraries.

Worldcat OCLC catalogue numbers 1018394101, 1274234331 and 66279176.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 17 x 10 x 3 cm. Gatherings of eight. Vellum binding over pasteboards.

Pages – xvi, 1-243r, [1 – 243v blank]

Collation - *8, a-z8, A-H8

Condition -

See pictures. Binding with some wear, darkening, several small cracks to vellum; there is a vertical impression to the rear board. Top of text block darkened from dust. Many inscriptions to pastedown and flyleaf (ex libris and bookseller). Flyleaf missing bottom. Text block toned throughout with some thumbing, dog-eared pages, page-edge chips, fox spots, etc. Title page with some moisture marks, where an attempt was made to remove old inscriptions. A moisture mark throughout at bottom of gutter. *3 bottom corner deckled or chipped. Ink smudge on 17. Some dark spots in gutter, but book is very dry and I don’t believe any mold could be alive, likely from long ago when the moisture mark happened. Underline on page 148. Small chip at bottom of x8. Last leaf with small tear to fore-edge in margin.