202 - [NAVY] DUGUAY-TROUIN, René. Memoirs of Mr. Du Gué-Trouin, Squadron Commander in the Armed Forces of His Majesty the King of France and Grand Cross of the Military Order of St. Louis.

[NAVY] DUGUAY-TROUIN, René. Memoirs of Mr. Du Gué-Trouin, Squadron Commander in the Armed Forces of His Majesty the King of France and Grand Cross of the Military Order of St. Louis. Clandestine first edition of these famous Memoirs, published during the author’s lifetime and without his consent. Amsterdam, Pierre Mortier, 1730. In-12, full marbled fawn calfskin, smooth spine, panels decorated with small gilt ironwork and a central fleur-de-lis, brown leather title label, gilt fillet with notches, red edges. 4 unnumbered folios (title page, preface) and 290 pages, two engraved vignettes. Binding slightly rubbed, cap bands missing, incipient cracks at the joints. A rare first edition. It is adorned with two superb intaglio engravings signed by François-Morellon de La Cave (1696–1768): the Duguay-Trouin coat of arms at the top of the epistle and an allegorical banner at the beginning of the memoirs depicting Neptune with his trident. Printed at the initiative of Pierre de Villepontoux, this clandestine edition predates the official Parisian edition of 1740 by ten years. Originally intended for a strictly private circle, these Memoirs, dictated by the legendary Saint-Malo privateer René Duguay-Trouin (1673–1736), recount with remarkable candor his greatest feats of arms against the English and Dutch fleets, his daring boarding tactics, right up to the famous capture of Rio de Janeiro in 1711. Having risen to the rank of admiral, he also recounts with great candor his meetings at Versailles with King Louis XIV. A great classic of maritime literature from the Ancien Régime, in a period binding and in good condition.