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A rare collection of facetiae

[FACETIAE].
Les Ecosseuses ou les oeufs de Pasques.

With woodcut frontispiece printed in golden green, showing two girls at work sitting opposite each other, by Comte de Caylus after design by De Boucher, woodcut vignette of crossed beans also printed in golden green on title, title partly printed in golden green, and a second separate printed title, dated 1739.

Troyes, Chez la Veuve Oudot, 1745. Small 8vo. Contemporary dark green morocco, spine richly gilt, with red title-label, double gilt fillet borders on sides, richly gilt inner dentelles, g.e. With woodcut frontispiece printed in golden green, showing two girls at work sitting opposite each other, by Comte de Caylus after design by De Boucher, woodcut vignette of crossed beans also printed in golden green on title, title partly printed in golden green, and a second separate printed title, dated 1739. (4), 172 pp.

With:
LETTRES de la Grenouillere, entre Mr. Jerosme Dubois, Pêcheux du Gros-Caillou. Et Mll Nanette Dubut, Blanchisseuse de linge fin. A la Grenouillere (Paris, 1749). (4), 63, (1 blank) pp.

Ad 1: According to Gay-Lemonnyer "Les Ecosseuses" with the woodcut frontispiece had first been published in 1739. But when enlarged, like our copy, with the comedy "L'Histoire du porteur d'eau, ou les Amours de la Ravadeuse", and from 1745 onwards enlarged again, also like our copy, with "Relation galante et funeste de l'histoire d'une demoiselle qui a glissé pour être épousée, l'hiver du mois de décembre 1742", the title was usually changed into: "Etrennes de la Saint-Jean". The book contains a rare collection of facetiae written in the popular style by Comte de Caylus, Comte de Maurepas, Vadé, Comtesse de Verrue, Président de Montesqieu, Moncriff, De Crébillon le Jeune, Sallé, La Chaussée, Duclos, D'Arménonville and Abbé de Voisenon. They were later included in "Oeuvres de Caylus". The present enlarged edition still under its first title, and including the popular woodcut by Comte de Caylus and Boucher, seems to be very rare. According to Morin the publisher's address at Troyes is fictitious, and was the book not printed at Troyes at all.

Ad 2: According to Gay-Lemonnyer the "Lettres de la Grenouillere" consist of two parts, of which the "Lettres" proper are the second part, with a separate title, dated at Paris, 1749. The first part then contained a monologue under the title "Le Pacquet de Mouchoirs", also with a separate title, but now without address or date. Ours is obviously a variant edition of the letters only. With a preface telling that after the marriage of the two lovers their letters were entrusted to the mother of Miss Dubut, who herewith published them, unchanged. The work was ascribed to J.J. Vadé. It is of special interest for its use of "Parisian argot", the dialect of the common people at Paris.

Fine copies.

Ad 1: Gay-Lemonnyer II, 182; Brunet I, 1705 (listed under Caylus); cf. Louis Morin, Quelques faux en mention bibliographique, in: Bulletin du Bibliophile, 1909; Ad 2: Gay-Lemonnyer II, 820; cf. Oberlé, "La Bibliotheque Bleue", 346 (ed. of 1756, also of the "Lettres" only, of 48 pp.).

Related Subjects: 18th Century French Popular Books Women

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