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six old books are lined up in rows on a white surfacean old book with a drawing of a woman holding a clock
ALDE

88 - [SCUDÉRY (Madeleine de)]. *Artamene, or the Great Cyrus*, de…
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Estimate €1,000 - €1,200
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Description
[SCUDÉRY (Madeleine de)]. *Artamene, or the Great Cyrus*, dedicated to the Duchess of Longueville by Monsieur de Scudery. Printed at Leiden and sold in Paris by Augustin Courbé, 1656. 10 volumes, small 8vo, fawn calfskin, coat of arms on the covers, spines decorated with heraldic motifs, red edges (18th-century binding). 8 unnumbered folios (including the frontispiece title page, dedication), 604 pp., 3 unnumbered folios (privileges) – Frontispiece, title page, pp. 3–768, 3 unnumbered folios – Frontispiece, 731 pp., 3 folios (privilegium) – Frontispiece, 700 pp., 3 unnumbered folios – 774 pp. (including the frontispiece), 3 folios – 816 pp. (including the frontispiece), 3 folios  – 772 pp. (including frontispiece), 3 unnumbered folios – 778 pp. (including frontispiece), 3 unnumbered folios – 746 pp. (including frontispiece), 3 unnumbered folios – 850 pp. (including the frontispiece), 3 ff. This is the fifth edition of this great novel, known to be the longest French novel ever written. The first edition was published between 1649 and 1653. ‘Although published under the name of Georges de Scudéry, this novel is likely the work of his sister Madeleine. Tallemant de Réaux attests that Georges wrote only the preface and the dedicatory epistles. Madeleine de Scudéry often refers to *Cyrus* in her correspondence as being her own composition’, according to Lever. This copy is complete with all 10 frontispieces but does not include the 30 illustrations noted by De Backer 951 and Tchemerzine X, p. 281. A fine copy bound in the 18th century for Charles de Rohan, Prince of Soubise (1715–1787), with his coat of arms on the spines of the bindings. Baron Pavée de Vendeuvre (1779–1870) had his coat of arms stamped on the covers. From the Evrard de Rouvre library (1980, II, no. 167), with bookplates. Lever p. 76 – Olivier pl. 2034, plates 6 and 7.
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About the sale Xavier de Planhol Library – The Origins of the Novel
Auction location
Auction time 09/30/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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