DU CHESNE (Joseph, sieur de La Violette).
Ɵ The Great Mirror of the World. Lyon, Pour Barthélemy Honorat, 1587. In-4, black morocco, boards decorated with a large Renaissance decoration drawn by double straight and curved fillets, corners and middle of each side punctuated with a gilt fleuron, spine decorated, interior fillet and corner fleuron, gilt edges (R. Laurent).
First edition of this philosophical-theological poem, in which the author says he wanted to enclose the greatest wonders of Nature.
Dedicated to Henri de Navarre, future Henri IV, it is divided into five books - ten were originally planned. A second edition, enlarged by a sixth book and with comments by Simon Goulart, was published in 1593.
On the title, a beautiful and large typographical mark of François Forest, printer-librarian of Basel, who printed the volume for Barthélemy Honorat (see Silvestre, n°516).
This poem is the main poetic work of Joseph du Chesne (1546-1609), sieur de La Violette, poet, physician and alchemist from Armagnac. Compatriot and imitator of Du Bartas, he was close to Théodore de Bèze and Simon Goulart in Geneva, where he had the poetic works of his friend Odet de La Noue published in 1594.
The author sings here the Work of the Creator, speaks about supernatural worlds, magicians, dreams, oracles, auguries, plants and animals, discusses the properties of salt, sulfur and mercury, evokes meteors, etc. His versified description of the celestial vault is remarkable and gives him the occasion to slip in skilful metaphors in connection with hunting and fishing: Voulez-vous voir au ciel, outre la venerie, / Le Plaisir oste-soing de la fauconnerie?
A very wide-margined copy, in a beautiful decorated binding according to a very popular model in the 17th century.
It was listed in the Berès catalog, Des Valois à Henri IV, under n°84.
Traces of rubbing at the hinges.
J. P. Barbier-Mueller, IV-1, n°65. - Baudrier, t. IV, p. 157. - N. Ducimetière, Mignonne..., n°113. - Diane Barbier-Mueller, Inventaire..., n°295.
