28 - [CHRONICLES OF NORMANDY]. The chronicles and glorious deeds of the dukes, princes, barons, and lords of the noble Duchy of Normandy. And with this, the wars and disputes that have arisen between the French, Normans, and English. Also, the conquest of the lands and duchy of Guyenne, supplemented by several fine stories... Newly printed in Paris. Paris, Jehan Sainct Denys, n.d. (ca. 1529). Small quarto (185 x 130 mm), Lavallière morocco, gilt fillets on the covers, decorated ribbed spine, covers from an earlier binding (17th century) in fawn calfskin decorated in the Du Seuil style and bearing the inscriptions “Manneville” (front cover) and “Ausouville” (back cover) preserved in the lining, gilt edges (Trautz-Bauzonnet).

[CHRONICLES OF NORMANDY]. The chronicles and glorious deeds of the dukes, princes, barons, and lords of the noble Duchy of Normandy. And with this, the wars and disputes that have arisen between the French, Normans, and English. Also, the conquest of the lands and duchy of Guyenne, supplemented by several fine stories... Newly printed in Paris. Paris, Jehan Sainct Denys, n.d. (ca. 1529). Small quarto (185 x 130 mm), Lavallière morocco, gilt fillets on the covers, decorated ribbed spine, covers from an earlier binding (17th century) in fawn calfskin decorated in the Du Seuil style and bearing the inscriptions “Manneville” (front cover) and “Ausouville” (back cover) preserved in the lining, gilt edges (Trautz-Bauzonnet). A very rare Gothic edition of the Chronicles of Normandy, the first printed in Paris. It follows four editions from Rouen—themselves of the utmost rarity—the first two of which were published by the city’s prototypographer Guillaume Le Talleur in 1487, with the edition dated May 14 constituting the first book printed with a confirmed date in the Norman capital. The text followed by these editions is that of the *Grande chronique de Normandie*—expanded for this occasion to cover events up to 1453— of the *Grande chronique de Normandie*, an anonymous 14th-century compilation based on an early 13th-century prose draft and 12th-century chronicles in verse—primarily the *Roman de Rou* by the Norman poet Robert Wace—tracing the history of the dukes of Normandy from Rollo onward. This edition is illustrated with two woodcut figures—one half-page and the other full-page—of very fine quality, depicting the author presenting his book to the king. Title in red and black. Jehan Saint Denys’s mark is repeated on the title page and on the verso of the last leaf. The covers of an earlier binding that had encased the copy in the 17th century have been preserved as lining for the Trautz-Bauzonnet binding, a binding decorated in fawn calfskin bearing, in gold letters on the front cover, the inscription “Manneville” punctuated with decorative flourishes, the name of its patron. This same name is inscribed in brown ink in contemporary handwriting on the first of the two old endpapers that have been preserved; on the second of these leaves, the following inscription is written in the same ink: “You may see on the first page of the 63rd leaf of this book how Duke William the Bastard crossed the sea with his army to conquer England in the month of October in theyear one thousand six hundred and six, and on the twelfth page of the 65th leaf, how Sir de Manneville took part in this conquest of England alongside the Duke of Normandy, known as the Conqueror, in the said year 1066.” This note, framed by eight decorative borders—like the signature that precedes it—appears to be attributable to the patron who commissioned the binding, undoubtedly a descendant of William the Conqueror’s companion. A fine copy, made particularly attractive by its provenance. Minimal and very skillful restorations to the upper and lower corners of the first three folios. From the Behague (I, 1880, no. 1835) and Baron Pichon (I, 1897, no. 1392, acquired by Morgand) libraries; Bulletin Morgand, November 1897, no. 30106.