Testament Politique
Amsterdam: Henry Desbordes, 1689. Third Edition. Full Leather. 12 mo. Good Plus. Item #34158
Pp. [22], 415, Two parts in one. Contemporary calf, gilt panelled spine between raised bands. Covers worn at extremities, joints cracked (but stlll holding firmly), head of spine a bit eroded, leaves lightly toned, ink inscription on title, but overall a nice clean copy. The Third Edition, the first and second appearing a year earlier in 1688. The "Political Testament" of Cardinal Richelieu, the great First Minister of Louis XIII, affords a unique insight into the character and ambitions of this remarkable prelate and statesman, who was chiefly responsible for the defeat of the Protestant cause in France, the ruin of the Hapsburg supremacy in Europe, and the restoration of the absolute power of the French monarchy. Because of its late posthumous publication, and the fact that it was compiled from the author's notes and dictations by an unknown hand, the authenticity of the work was questioned by many, including Voltaire, until Gabriel Hanotaux's discovery in 1880 of a major collection of Richelieu documents in the Bibliotèque Nationale, establishing its genuineness beyond a reasonable doubt.
Price (CAD): $400.00