142 - [L'ESTOILE, Pierre de]. Journal of Memorable Events That Occurred During the Reign of Henry III.

[L'ESTOILE, Pierre de]. Journal of Memorable Events That Occurred During the Reign of Henry III. Cologne, Published by the Heirs of Pierre Marteau, 1720. In-12 (16.5 x 10 cm), full tan calfskin, ribbed spine decorated with panels. Gold-tooled edges, red-speckled edges. Contemporary binding. 4 vols.: 5 ff., 280 pp. - 2 ff., pp. 281–532 - 2 ff., 258 pp. - pp. 259–516 and table of contents. Scuffs on the bindings; small loss at the top cap (vol. 2). Yellowed pages; two plates trimmed short at the margins (vol. 1). A new and rare complete edition in 4 volumes, illustrated with 13 plates engraved by Harrewyn, including 11 portraits. A collection of fiercely satirical and critical texts on Henry III, the Queen Mother, Queen Margot, and the court; at the outset of the project in 1621, the collection consisted of only a few texts gleaned from Pierre de l’Estoile’s notebooks by Louis Servin. Pierre de L’Estoile (1546–1611), Secretary to the King and Grand Audiencier of the Chancellery of France, witnessed all the events and intrigues of the reigns of Henry III and Henry IV. He began writing his daily journals upon the death of Charles IX. These were not intended for publication, but today they constitute a valuable record of the reigns of Henry III and Henry IV. Recorded in chronological order, the events are viewed through the lens of contemporary public opinion and reveal the author’s own views, such as his rejection of religious fanaticism and his love of literature (his library was one of the most extensive in Paris). A beautiful copy, attractively bound in period binding.