1 - [HISTORY - DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG] - BERTHOLET, Reverend Father Jean, S.J.

[HISTORY - DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG] - BERTHOLET, Reverend Father Jean, S.J. "Ecclesiastical and Civil History of the Duchy of Luxembourg and the County of Chiny" Luxembourg, Published by André Chevalier, Printer and Bookseller, 1741–1743, 8 volumes. In-4° (approx. 25 x 19.5 cm). 18th-century marbled full calf. Smooth spine richly decorated with gilded interlacing on a light or dark background. Title labels in Lavallière morocco and volume number labels in black morocco. Damage to the joints, caps, corners, and edges (scuffing, small losses, wormholes, etc.). A few folios are slightly browned. Rare pale foxing spots. Complete first edition with its illustrations, which are well-preserved here. It consists of 2 frontispieces in Volume I and 5 intaglio-engraved plates by Philippe-André Kilian (in Volumes I and II), 1 large engraved and fold-out map of the former Duchy of Luxembourg in Volume I, 16 separate plates engraved with seals, coins, and medals at the end of Volume VI, as well as several engraved headbands and initial letters. This is the original and only edition of this monumental work, which constitutes the first major printed historical compendium on Luxembourg and the County of Chiny. The Jesuit priest Jean Bertholet (1688–1755) provides a meticulous chronicle, volume by volume, from Roman antiquity and the Kingdom of Austrasia through the 18th century, supported by numerous supporting documents and charters transcribed at the end of each volume. The meticulous printing was produced by André Chevalier, a leading figure in the Luxembourg printing industry. Provenance: From the Behault library (ex-libris), a Belgian noble family originally from Mons. A very complete copy, featuring all its plates and its fold-out map, which is often missing.