BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (Jules). - Lot 64

BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (Jules). Un Prêtre marié. Paris : Librairie de Achille Faure, 1865. - 2 volumes in-18, 185 x 115: (4 ff.), 307 pp. printed cover; (2 ff.), 271 pp. pp. (9)-48. Dark blue half-maroquin with corners, spine ribbed, untrimmed, cover preserved (Canape). Original edition. Precious copy with a rare provenance. It is that of the poet Jean Siméon Pécontal (1798-1872), with this autograph dedication signed by the author on the first leaf of the first volume: À mon cher Ami // et // très cher Poète, Siméon Pécontal, // J. B. d'Aurevilly This little-known poet was much appreciated by Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, who wrote about him in some of his books, such as Les Poètes in 1862 and Mémoranda in 1883. In the latter, he says: "He has in him the virtue of a poet. The character of his talent is a charming gift of simplicity. - He is simple... as one is no longer. - The decadence of this time has not bypassed his limbs in his mad gymnastics, and he dares to be natural" (Memoranda, 1883, p. 24). Beautiful copy bound by Canape, including 3 autograph corrections by the author on pages 36 and 253 in the first volume and on page 159 in the second. Without the publisher's catalogs at the end of the volumes, but with the newspaper extracts at the end of the second volume, paginated from 9 to 48. Some wear. Provenance: Jean Siméon Pécontal, with consignment from the author. - Ex-libris AG.