LOUIS XIV. Lettres de Louis XIV au comte de Briord, Ambassadeur Extraordinaire de S. M. Très Chrétienne auprès des Etats Generaux, dans les années 1700. & 1701. The Hague: M. G. de Merville, 1728. - In-12, havana calf, gilded arms in the center of the boards, ornate ribbed spine, red edges (period binding). Unique and very rare edition of this secret correspondence between Louis XIV and his ambassador to the Netherlands, Count Gabriel de Briord, which deals with one of the most important affairs of the Sun King's reign: the accession of Philippe de France, the young Duke of Anjou, the King's grandson, to the Spanish throne, without renouncing his right to the French crown. The edition contains 39 letters that reflect the king's personality, power and authority. Negotiations were interrupted by the fragile health of the Comte de Briord. The letters are transcribed in their original state, i.e. in encrypted form; the vast majority, however, have been deciphered and transcribed in note form. At the end, in their own pagination, are the "Pièces originales, Pour servir d'éclaircissement aux Lettres de Louis XIV à Mr le comte de Briord". A copy bearing the coat of arms of Louis François Armand de Vignerot Du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu (1696-1788), Marshal of France and member of the Académie française. Covers torn off. Some moisture on boards. Provenance: Duc de Richelieu, with his coat of arms on the boards. - Elisze Gulston, with bookplate.