France

London: Hutchinson & Co., 1907. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. A shining binding by Bayntun with gilt raised bands, twin labels and neatly gilt framed panels. Gilt fillets framing the boards, dentelles and all edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. With 17 plates and extra-Illustrated with several engraved portraits. A lovely copy of this history of frolicking and intrigue at the 17th century French court of the Sun King.

London: G. Bell and Sons, 1922. Full calf, 7 3/4 inches tall. Two volumes bound as one. A splendid tree calf binding by Bickers with gilt raised bands, twin labels and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. A single gilt fillet frames the boards. Portrait and 20 further illustrations. Eighth edition, revised. Slight foxing on the portrait, otherwise clean. A handsome copy of the Life of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Paris: Jouaust / Librairie des Bibliophiles, 1880. 2 volume set, 8 inches tall. A very fine full crushed morocco with gilt raised bands, delicate gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Gilt top edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. With all the original fine engravings reprinted. Following the pattern of Bocaccio's Decameron, Marguerite of Navarre intended to write 100 tales but died after completing 72, into the 8th day. Many of the stories deal with love, lust, infidelity, and other romantic and sexual matters. A very fine set of these 16th century tales in the original French.

London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1911. Half morocco, 6 inches tall. A delightful little robust half morocco binding with gilt raised bands and gilt tooling to the panels. Top edge gilt. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. A finely printed work on hand-made paper. First printed in 1665 his Maximes portraying the callous nature of human conduct, with a cynical attitude towards putative virtue and avowals of affection, friendship, love, and loyalty. These established La Rochefoucauld in his position among the men of letters of the period.

London: John Murray, 1863. 3 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A sparkling Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, triple labels and ornate gilt panels. Yellow edges. Armorial bookplate. 2 portrait frontispieces. Chip to the foot of volume 1. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Charles consolidated the growing Burgundian State into one continuous Kingdom upsetting several European powers and instigating the Burgundian wars in which he died on the battlefield in 1476. An exceptionally good looking set.

London: William Fearman, 1819. Half morocco, 11 inches tall. A splendid later binding by Zaehnsdorf with raised bands, gilt title and top edge. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. With 19 bright hand-coloured plates "By an artist Recently Returned from the Continent". Each view is most illuminating particularly the 'Interior of a Coffee House', 'The Morgue' with a young child come to have a look and 'The Gaming Table'. A fine clean copy of this scarce colour plate book. With the text in English and French.

London: John and Arthur Arch, 1820. 2 volume set, 9 3/4 inches tall. A spectacular Regency full straight grain morocco binding with wide elaborately gilt tooled raised bands and superb and complex gilt and blind tooling to the boards. Very fine wide dentelles and all edges gilt. Faint signs of the removal of a bookplate in both volumes, very slight rubbing minor foxing to the plates and tissues. With all 50 full page engravings called for. A charming well illustrated work in an exceptional binding of the highest quality.

London: Henry Colburn & Co., 1849. 2 volume set, 9 inches tall. An unusual and very elegant half crushed morocco with three raised gilt bands and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. The early 16th century King of France, great patron the the Arts. In his enthusiasm for the Italian Renaissance he brought many great Italian artists to France including Leonardo da Vinci. Under his reign several of the finest French Renaissance buildings were constructed including the great chateau at Chambord. Miss Julia Pardoe was an English poet, novelist, historian and traveller. Her most enduring works are her French histories which continued to be printed into the twentieth century.

London: Henry Colburn & Co., 1849. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. An unusual and very elegant half crushed morocco with three raised gilt bands and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. The Sun King, Louis XIV, was king of France from 1643 until his death in 1715, the longest reign of any sovereign at 72 years and 110 days. Miss Julia Pardoe was an English poet, novelist, historian and traveller. Her most enduring works are her French histories which continued to be printed into the twentieth century.

London: Henry Colburn & Co., 1852. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. An unusual and very elegant half crushed morocco with three raised gilt bands and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. Marie was second wife of King Henry IV and then served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Miss Julia Pardoe was an English poet, novelist, historian and traveller. Her most enduring works are her French histories which continued to be printed into the twentieth century.

London: Richard Bentley, 1852. 2 volume set, 8 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf binding with gilt raised bands, bright twin labels and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Twin gilt fillets frame the boards. A neat ink inscription dated 1858, "on leaving Eton" is on the first blank. A fine copy, in English, of a scarce work by Ranke, the great German historian.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1889. 2 volume set, 7 1/4 inches tall. A splendid little set of this classic history in late Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, elegant gilt tooling to the panels and twin labels. The boards have gilt and blind fillets framing the gilt prize blocks of St. Paul's school. All edges gilt. A prize bookplate on the front paste down endpapers and a further bookplate.

London: John Fairburn, 1822. Full morocco, 9 inches tall. A fabulous full morocco by Wood with gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling to the panels and boards representing the gambling and fighting to be found in the text. Fine gilt dentelles and top edge. The armorial bookplate of Charles Tuller Garland and a pictorial bookplate. Embellished with 21 hand comic coloured aquatints by George Cruikshank. Some finger marks but still a super copy of the rollicking adventures of a band of young gentlemen enjoying life in Paris.

London: Richard Bentley, 1887. 3 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf for Sotheran with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. Twin fillets and corner tools frame the boards. With the armorial bookplate of John Warren. With 18 full page steel engraved portraits and numerous wood engravings. Julia Pardoe was a well respected historian and novelist and was published on both sides of the Atlantic.

London: Richard Bentley, 1887. 3 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf for Sotheran with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. Twin fillets and corner tools frame the boards. With the armorial bookplate of John Warren. With 18 full page steel engraved portraits and numerous wood engravings. Julia Pardoe was a well respected historian and novelist and was published on both sides of the Atlantic.

London: Richard Bentley, 1886. 3 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf for Sotheran with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. Twin fillets and corner tools frame the boards. With the armorial bookplate of John Warren. With 18 full page steel engraved portraits and numerous wood engravings. Julia Pardoe was a well respected historian and novelist and was published on both sides of the Atlantic.

London: Richard Bentley, 1883. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. A very handsome late Victorian half calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and elegant gilt tooling to the panels. Bumped tips. With 20 engraved plates, as called for. A handsome 'New and Revised Edition' of this classic work on Napoleon by the wife of General Jean-Andoche Junot, one of Napoleons most trusted officers during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

London: Sewell, Longman et al., 1801. 7 volume set, 7 1/4 inches tall. A beautiful full Georgian speckled calf binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and gilt centre tools. The boards are framed within a delicate gilt fillet. With the bookplate of Ellen James. This set looks superb on the shelf but does have condition issues. A long defunct insect has nibbled at a few boards, the worst example is on the lower board of the first volume, which can be viewed in one of the images. The letters of Madame de Sévigné are revered in France as one of the great works of French 17th century literature. In English.