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44 - BEHN (Aphra). Oronoko translated from English by Madame Behn…
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Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
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BEHN (Aphra). Oronoko translated from English by Madame Behn. Amsterdam: Aux dépens de la Compagnie, 1745. - 2 parts in one volume in-16, 144 x 94 : (1 f.), xv, 104 pp. ; (2 ff.), 168 pp. Speckled tan calf, triple gilt fillet and gilt coat of arms on the corners of the boards, smooth spine decorated in the grotesque style, inner gilt border, gilt edges (contemporary binding). First edition of the first French translation by Pierre-Antoine de La Place (1707-1793) of this major novel in the history of literature. First published in 1688, Oronoko is considered to be one of the first modern English novels, but above all one of the first Western works of fiction to deal with the slave trade and slavery, denouncing the cruelty of this system before its time. In a blend of colonial realism and tragedy in love, the author tells the story of Oronoko, an African prince, who falls in love with Imoinda, the daughter of his grandfather's favourite general. But the king, infatuated with the young woman, demands that she become his wife. Refusing this forced marriage, Imoinda prefers to risk death. In retaliation, the king has her sold into slavery in Suriname, thus triggering the tragedy. Aphra Behn (1640-1689), a pioneering figure in English literature, is recognised as one of the first women to make a living from her pen in Britain. Originally from near Canterbury, she spent time in Suriname, an English colony dedicated to growing sugar cane, an experience that deeply inspired her novel Oronoko, her most famous work. When it was published in 1688, the work went unnoticed. It was not republished until 1696, and it was only after Aphra Behn's death that the novel found its audience. The real turning point came in 1695 with the theatrical adaptation of the novel by Thomas Southerne, who turned it into a successful melodrama but made two major changes: Imoinda became white (whereas she was black in the novel) and the emphasis was placed on tragic scenes, such as Oronoko's murder of Imoinda. This version dominated the 18th and 19th centuries. In France, the novel was translated for the first time in 1745 by Pierre-Antoine de La Place, who adopted Southerne's choices, with a white Imoinda. The book was reprinted seven times before 1800 (sometimes illustrated with erotic engravings), and became one of the best-selling English adaptations in France. A precious and extremely rare copy enriched with a signed autograph letter from La Place: Pour Monsieur Le Prince // de Robecq, de la part de son // très humble serviteur // De La Place The work was published in February 1745 (see Mercure de France for this period), so there is every reason to believe that this dedication is addressed to Anne-Auguste de Montmorency, sixth Prince de Robech, born in 1679 and died on 27 October 1745. Born into an illustrious military lineage, he began his career as a musketeer in 1695 before distinguishing himself in the wars at the end of the reign of Louis XIV. Initially a Count of Ester, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a captain in 1697, a major in 1698 and then colonel of the Normandy Regiment in 1700. During the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714), he distinguished himself in Italy, Spain and Roussillon. Wounded on several occasions, he took part in decisive battles such as Chiari, Luzzara, Turin and Barcelona, where his daring earned him successive promotions. In 1711, his victory at Girona earned him the prestigious title of Knight of the Golden Fleece. After the war, he inherited the title of Prince of Robech in 1716. Appointed lieutenant-general in 1720, he served again in the War of Polish Succession (1734), before retiring. This copy has one very interesting feature: it reveals the identity of the recipient of the epistle, referred to under the enigmatic name of "Madame la M. P. d'I...". A contemporary annotation suggests an identification: "Ma(?)alle Pe d'Isenguin", a reference that seems to indicate the "Maréchale Princesse d'Isenghien", i.e. at that time Margaretha Camilla Grimaldi (1700 - 1758), wife of Louis de Gand de Mérode de Montmorency (1678 - 1767), Prince of Isenghien and Masmines, appointed Marshal of France on 11 February 1741. The epistle, composed in verse, reveals from the very first words that this lady actually refused the honour of having this book dedicated to her. A copy in an elegant contemporary binding with an attractive spine decorated in the grotesque style, and on the boards four alérions, the arms of the Montmorency family. Slight rubbing to the headpieces, small loss to the lower headpiece, corners dulled. A russet stain in the margin of page 59 of the second part. Provenance: Anne-Auguste de Montmorency, with autograph dispatch from the translator, the Montmorency family bookplate and the arms on the boards.
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Auction time 06/17/2026 at 2:00 PM
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