COMMINES, PHILIPPE de.

Cronique et histoyre faicte et composee par feu messire Philippe de Cômines ..., contenant les choses aduenues durant le regne du Roy Loys unzieme tant en France, Bourgongne, Flandres, Artthois, Angleterre que Espagne et lieu o circonvoisins. Nouuelleme(n)t reueue et corrigee avec plusieurs notables mis au marge Imprime en Mars mil cinq cens vingt et neuf (1529). (+) Croniques du Roy Charles huytieme de ce non que Dieu absoille, côtenânt la verite des faicts et gestes dignes de memoire dud seigneur, quil feist en son voiage de Naples et de la conqste dud royaulme de Naples et paye adiacens Et de son triumphate.... par Messire Phelippes de Commines... auec la table recollective annotatiôs et cotations du côtenu audit lieure lesquelles au paraauoient estees obmises. On les vend a Paris en la rue saîct iacques a len du Pellican et a Poctiers au Pellican. Cum Priuilegio M.D.XXIV.

Paris, 1529 (Colophon: 24 Mars 1524 pour Francoys Regnault) - Colophon: 2. Daoust (August) pour maistre Enguillebert de Marnef, 1524. Large 4to. (27 x 20 cm.). Contemp. full calf. Panelled covers with blindtooled rolls, inner panel with cornerpieces and in the middle an oval arabesque medaillon. 5 raised bands. Upper and lower compartments of spine repaired. 2 small nicks at bands on spine. light wear along
fronthinge. Corners neathly repaired. Collation (Cronique et Histoire): Title-page with large and broad ornamental woodcut borders consisting of 6 pieces. A large printers woodcut device. Ff (4) + Ff 106. Colophon on folio CVI (106, some misfoliation - signatures correct). - Collation (Croniques Charles VIII): Title-page printed in red and black inside large ornamental woodcut borders. In the middle printers woodcut device.Ff (4) + Ff 54. Colophon on LIIII (54 - many misfoliations - signatures correct). On F (4) Arms of France in a large woodcut. Some annotations in a contemporary hand. - Both work with many large initials in woodcut. Lower margins throughout browned and with some repairs, some leaves in the middle having some heavy wormtracts in lower margins. Some corners at end restored. In the second work a wormtract in outer margins, but decreasing toward end. Upper right corners with a faint dampstain.

Scarce early editions of these works that only later obtained the name of "Memoires", and they are a major primary source for 15th century European history. Commines is called "the first critical and philosophical historian since classical times" and "the first truly modern writer".
"In 1498 (fifteen years after the death of Louis XI of France), Commines's work was completed (first published in 1524 in Paris), and is considered a historical record of immense importance, largely because of its author's cynical and forthright attitude to the events and machinations he had witnessed. His writings reveal many of the less savory aspects of the reign of Louis XI, and Commines related them without apology, insisting that the late king's virtues outweighed his vices. He is regarded as a major primary source for 15th century European history.
"The Mémoires are divided into "books", the first six of which were written between 1488 and 1494, and relate the course of events from the beginning of Commines' career (1464) up to the death of King Louis. The remaining two books were written between 1497 and 1501 (printed in 1528), and deal with the Italian wars, ending in the death of King Charles VIII of France."
Brunet II,189-190. - Adams 2441 and Adams 2443 (but not quite the same collation). - Tchemerzine III, 452-54 (but differences in collations).

Order-nr.: 54624