61 - [LE TOURNEUX (Nicolas)]. The Roman Breviary, in Latin and French. In accordance with the reforms of the Holy Council of Thirty…. Divided into four parts (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Paris, Denys Thierry, 1688. Four tomes divided into eight volumes, plus a supplementary volume for the Common of Saints for the twelve months of the year, totaling nine volumes in-8, 18th-century binding in blue morocco, smooth spines divided into panels by fillets and adorned with gilt fleurons, three gilt fillets on the covers with corner fleurons and a coat of arms in the center, interior roulette with a floral motif, salmon-colored tabis endpapers, gilt edges.

[LE TOURNEUX (Nicolas)]. The Roman Breviary, in Latin and French. In accordance with the reforms of the Holy Council of Thirty…. Divided into four parts (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Paris, Denys Thierry, 1688. Four tomes divided into eight volumes, plus a supplementary volume for the Common of Saints for the twelve months of the year, totaling nine volumes in-8, 18th-century binding in blue morocco, smooth spines divided into panels by fillets and adorned with gilt fleurons, three gilt fillets on the covers with corner fleurons and a coat of arms in the center, interior roulette with a floral motif, salmon-colored tabis endpapers, gilt edges. First and only edition of this translation, adorned with a beautiful engraved frontispiece and a title vignette repeated in each of the four volumes. A PRECIOUS PERSONAL COPY BELONGING TO THE MARQUISE DE POMPADOUR, SPECIALLY ENRICHED AND EMBELLISHED FOR HER. Likely a deliberate choice by the Marquise, this is the translation by Nicolas Le Tourneux, a renowned preacher close to the Jansenists—he was at one time the official confessor of Port-Royal des Champs —and author of several works on the Catholic liturgy—was chosen to represent the Roman Breviary in her library, in preference to the more orthodox version by Michel de Marolles (1659), which had been frequently reprinted. Published anonymously two years after his death, Le Tourneux’s Breviary—which was at one time censored by the Archbishop of Paris because of the author’s associations—was never reprinted, although its reputation for excellence remained intact throughout the following century. “Le Tourneux ultimately established himself as a spiritual author, primarily concerned with instilling in his readers an understanding of their obligations toward God and His Church. His work as a liturgist was aimed less at scholarly specialization than at conveying to the faithful the meaning of Catholic ceremonies. He put his talents as an exegete to work in the service of a simple and effective pedagogy (Eric Suire. Nicolas Le Tourneux (1640–1686). In the Shadow of Port-Royal. Paris: Champion, 2022). To make it more enjoyable and easier to use, this unique copy intended for the marquise was divided into nine volumes—two for each of the four seasons, plus one volume for the Common of Saints for the twelve months of the year. The first volume of each season contains the General Rubrics of the Breviary, the Psalter for each day of the week, and the various Offices, including the Office of the Virgin and the Office of the Dead; the second volume contains the Proper of the Season and the Proper of the Saints. To complete this copy, it has been superbly embellished with: - THIRTEEN MAGNIFICENT FULL-PAGE WASH DRAWINGS serving as frontispieces at the beginning of each section of the Psalter and the Office of the Virgin, as well as the Common of the Saints. - Thirteen handwritten tables of contents, framed by a double border and carefully calligraphied, at the beginning of the same sections, making it easier to find prayers. - Forty-nine engravings based on works by various painters, most engraved by Tardieu, including eight particularly beautiful ones based on works by Boucher, engraved by Le Bas. A SUPERB COPY, FINELY BOUND, PRESERVED IN THE MOST PERFECT STATE OF PRESERVATION. It appeared at the posthumous sale of Madame de Pompadour’s library (1765, catalog no. 22), where it was sold for 61 livres—one of the highest prices of the sale. Acquired by Émile Rossignol in 1960.