18th-cent. manuscript 70 poems Voltaire & others

May 11, 2022

Lot 58

18th-cent. manuscript 70 poems Voltaire & others

Estimate: $300 - $500

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About this Lot

Description

François-Marie Arouet, known as VOLTAIRE 1694-1778), Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Willart de GRECOURT (1684-1743), Pierre-Charles ROY (1683-1764), Jean-Baptiste RACINE (1639-1699), Jean-Jacques ROUSSEAU (1712-1778), and others.

An early 18th-century manuscript collection of French poetry, epigrams, sonnets and longer pieces, the majority (if not all) of them published, but written by an attractive single hand. [France: one poem with date ‘1734’ mentioned, but probably circa 1735-1750]. Quarto (10 x 7 ½ inches). Pages ‘1’-‘108’ + 4 blank pages + 8pp. manuscript index ‘Table Alphabetique / des pieces continues / dans ce volume’. (Some spotting, pp.13/14 with 2/3 cut away i.e. ‘Portraict du Poete Roi’ excised). Unbound, uncut.

An interesting collection: occasionally scurrilous if not actually actionable. The index lists 71 different pieces (one of which has been excised), the following is a sample from the first 22 pages:

1.1 L'Abbe de Signerac [or Lignerac] et Made. de la feuillade. [By Jean Baptiste Joseph Willart de Grecourt, published]; 1.2 Billet a Mr. Le Marquis de ... [Grecourt, published]; 2.1 Chanson [Grecourt, published]; 3.1 Contre les trois Epitres de Rousseau [????, ?unpublished]; 4.1 Les deux hymens a Made. Dargental. par Ferrand [? Voltaire, published]; 4.2 A Mr. L'Abbe de Chaulieu [Voltaire, published]; 5.1 A Mr. Titon Du Tillet [Voltaire, published]; 6.1 Epitre a Mr. Rousseau Par une personne qui souhaitton le voir estam a Bruxelles [Grecourt, published]; 7.1 La Gazette des Theatres [Pierre Charles Roy, published - part of a larger work]; 9.1 Histoire Arrivee a Made. d'Estain agee de 80 ans Par Mr L'abbe de Grecourt. [Grecourt, published]; 10.1 Aux Jesuites [???. ?unpublished]; 10.2 Lettre a Madame de... [Grecourt, published]; 11.1 Pour Mlle. de Charollais peinte en habis de Cordelier [?Voltaire, published]; 11.2 Piece fugitive Mausolee de Mlle Le Couvreux [?Voltaire, published]; 14. 1 [Portraict du Poete Roy, ? Voltaire, excision means that only 1 line remains]; 15.1 Reponse a Le fevre. [Voltaire, published]; 16.1 Reponse de Mr. Roy a une Lettre de Mr. Le Duc de la Tremouille [Pierre Charles Roy, published]; 19.1 Placet de Mr Barre Maitre des hautes oeuvres au Sr. Malet chevalier de St. Michel Directeur du Dixieme es l'un des 40. Academiciens [?Barre, published]; 20.1 Sur l'air de Joconde [?????, ? unpublished]; 21.1 Sur la Mort de Mr. de la Motte houdart [Grecourt, version published with different third line]; 21.2 Sur l'Andromaque [Racine, published]; 22.1 Vers Envoyez a Mr Silva 1734 [?Voltaire, published]; 22.2 Caractere de toutes les nations de l'Europe ...

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