BELLEAU (Rémy).

Ɵ Epithalam on the marriage of Monseigneur the duke of Lorraine, & of Madame Claude Fille du Roy. Sung by the Nymphs of the Seine, & Meuse. Paris, André Wechel, 1559. Booklet in-4, red morocco, jansenist, gilt title on the spine, inner lace, gilt edges (Weckesser et ses fils). First edition of this poem composed on the occasion of the marriage in 1559 of Claude, daughter of Henri II, king of France, and duke Charles III of Lorraine. "This union served the interests of France, in its defense against the encirclement that Spain made him undergo, because Lorraine was a vital crossroads for the politics of Philippe II. Indeed, to go from Luxembourg to Franche-Comté, it was necessary to pass by the duchy." Slight fold on the title, which, like the last page (white), is a little dirty. J. P. Barbier-Mueller, III, n°73. - Diane Barbier-Mueller, Inventaire..., n°45.