[BALZAC (Honoré de)].

Physiology of marriage or Meditations of eclectic philosophy, on conjugal happiness and unhappiness. Published by a young bachelor. Paris, Levavasseur, Urbain Canel, 1830. 2 volumes in one in-8, long-grained lemon morocco, large corner fleurons bound with sets of fillets, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets and fleurons, triple fillet inside, gilt edges, slipcase (Binding of the period). First edition. One notices between pages 207 to 210 an illegible typographical fantasy of which Balzac gives a humorous explanation at the beginning of the errata page. A splendid copy, bound by a great master of the time. This binding, particularly attractive by its color and the quality of its decoration, is probably by Purgold or Vogel. Attached is a very nice autograph letter from Balzac to Charles Sédillot, rue des Déchargeurs, n°10 in Paris, dated Tours, June 25, 1830 (2 pages and a half in-12): My dear cousin, it is only today and only here that I have been able to read the letter you were kind enough to write me and two from M. Galisset about the collection of woods. It is useless to explain to you how I traveled to Brittany and that I have only returned today, I went to see places, sites for a novel on the Vendée, that is the fact. [...] You understand, my good cousin, that the most essential thing is to give me my time to work and that as I have nothing, the points of law and fact well fixed by me, my opinion given, my presence is useless. If my mother wants a power of attorney, I will send it to her. Farewell, my good cousin, this time I do not want to leave here where I am perfectly well, tranquil, inspired, not expensively housed and fed, than I have done work for a good sum [...]. Charles Sédillot, a merchant in Paris, had been charged by Balzac's mother to liquidate the bankruptcy of her cousin and to pay off the debtors of the printing house. In a letter addressed to Sédillot on July 20, 1829, Balzac alludes to the Dernier Chouan published the previous March. Since September 1st, he has been working on the Physiology of Marriage, the first volume of which he had promised to Levavasseur for November 10th. The stay in Brittany to which he refers must be the one he made with Madame de Berny. They had gone up the Loire by boat, and had gone to Le Croisic. He confided his enthusiasm to Victor Rabier, director of La Silhouette, in a letter dated La Grenadière, July 21, 1830. But, back in Touraine, Balzac wrote the Traité de la Vie élégante. It was only much later that he published Un drame au bord de la mer (which takes place in Le Croisic), dated November 20, 1834, then Béatrix, published in Le Siècle from April 1 to 26 and from May 10 to 19, 1839 (and in 2 volumes by Souverain). As for the novel on the Vendée wars, which was to be entitled Les Vendéens, it will remain in the draft stage. Angular loss on folio 71-72, without affecting the text. The first table leaf has been glued to the hinge on the second. Freckles on a few leaves. Spine a little faded. Small restoration to one of the spines.