VAQUELIN, Nicolas.
Institution du Prince.
Paris, la veuve Mamert Patisson, 1604.£1,850.00
FIRST EDITION. 4to 16pp. Large Italic letter, printer’s large woodcut device to t-p., ornamental head and tailpiece and initials. Browned – poor quality paper, a good well-margined copy in C19 1/4 morocco marbled boards. Book labels of Julien Felix and Edouard-Mélite Pelay.
Rare first edition of this personal instruction in verse on the duties and qualities of a prince dedicated to the Duc de Vendôme. Nicolas Vaquelin des Yveteaux (1567-1649), born of an old Norman family (his father was lieutenant-general of Caen), was originally destined, most unsuitably, for the Church but became instead a courtier and poet. Chosen in 1606 as tutor to César de Vendome, natural son of Henri IV and Gabrielle d’Estrées, for whom the present work had been composed, subsequently Vaquelin became tutor to the Dauphin, the future Louis XIII, receiver of ambassadors, attendant of the Royal Levées and composer of despatches to foreign states. He left the court in 1611.
Some said it was out of grief at the death of the king of whom he was particularly fond, others as result of his licentious behaviour and indiscretions of his personal life and yet others on account of his over familiar attitude to the new king who he continued to treat as if he were still his pupil. As a rich man he returned with equanimity to his estates, writing short poetical works in the language of Desportes & Malherbe and conducting love affairs with youthful musicians and actresses. A collection of his many fugitive verses was published in a limited edition in 1854 but still very incomplete.
A very uncommon Estienne, unrecorded in the USA.
Ren 193:10. Not in Cioranescu.