Le roman de brut par Wace poète du Xiie siècle publié pour la première fois d'après les manuscrits des bibliothèques de Paris avec un commentaire et des notes par le Roux de Lincy.
Rouen: Edouard Frère, 1836 (v. 1), 1838 (v. 2).
First edition. Two octavo volumes bound into three (the pages 21.5 x 13.5 cm), complete. Illustrated with five engraved facsimiles. Quarter tan calf over marbled boards, spines in six compartments, of which four elaborately gilt tooled and two with calf labels with gilt lettering, black for the title, red for the volume, top edges gilt, others roughly trimmed, marbled endpapers (same as covers). Collates v. I: [2], 2 ll. (half-title and title), xvi pp., 1 l. (fly-title), pp. [1]-395, [1 p.], 2 ll. (errata and printer's device), [2 ll.], plus 2 ll. facsimiles; v. II: [2], 2 ll. (half-title and title), pp. [1]-365, 1 p. (printer's device), pp. [1]-174 (Analyse), 1 l. (printer's device), [1 p.], [2 ll.], plus 1 l. facsimile; MSS v.:[2 ll.], pp. [xvii]-cxxvii, [1 p.], [2 ll.], plus 2 ll. facsimiles. Negligible foxing and soiling throughout, some age toning, binding and spine slightly rubbed at extremities, otherwise very good, bright, tight and strong.
First edition of the Roman in print, an important production of the 19th century French bibliophilic renaissance, setting forth the celebrated Anglo-Norman account of the early kings of England; the first work to discuss the origins of King Arthur's Round Table, and a typographical masterpiece by Edouard Frère of Rouen. A long verse excerpt in the often missing MSS volume relates part of the history of King Lear, "li rois Leir." Bossuat 3708; Brunet V, 1393; Cole 1836-4; Frère II, 614; Grässe VI (2), 406; Vicaire VII, 1144; Viollet-le-Duc 1, 49.
Provenance: Madeleine Pelner Cosman, distinguished Professor at
the City College of New York, founder of its Institute of Medieval and Renaissance
Studies.
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