Émile CABANON.

A novel for the cooks. Paris, Renduel, 1834. In-8 of (1) frontispiece, 287 pp. misfigured 283 without missing, lemon half-maroquin with corners, spine ribbed richly decorated, initials PAL in the entrenerfs, red and blue morocco title and greef, untrimmed, gilt head, covers kept (Petit). First edition: "copies of this one have become extremely rare, if not completely unobtainable" (Charles Asselineau). It is illustrated with a woodcut frontispiece by Camille Rogier, printed on Chine appliqué. Curious novel in which the narrator dialogues with "his honored readers" to review from time to time the adventures he has undertaken to tell. It was exhumed in 1962 by José Corti. Editor of Le Corsaire, Emile Cabanon was known as a "mystifier to excess", according to the reputation that Champfleury and Asselineau had given him. A nice copy, very pure, bound with the figure of Paul Arnauldet. His library was, with those of Asselineau and Noilly, one of the three great collections of "romantic" books, built up in the century that saw their birth (cat. 1878, nº 564). Ex-libris Édouard Moura. Anonymous bookplate with the motto "to hope to serve". Binding slightly tarnished. (Asselineau, Bibliographie romantique, 1872, p. 198.- Clouzot, Guide du bibliophile français, 56: "Small rare romantic, which fetches quite a high price.")