CROISET (Jean). - Lot 47

CROISET (Jean). Exercises in piety for every day of the year. Janvier [à Décembre]. Lyon: les frères Bruyset, 1745. - 12 volumes in-12, 164x97. Olive morocco, fillet, fleur-de-lys at corners and arms in center, cold-stamped on covers, smooth spine decorated with cold-stamped fillets, interior gilt roulette, pink moiré silk lining and endpapers, gilt edges (period binding). Fifth edition of this pious work by Jesuit Father Jean Croiset (1656-1738), dedicated to Pope Clemens XI, first published in 1713. The author's intention was to bring together what was generally found separately, i.e. "the explanation of the Mystery, or the life of the Saint of each day; with Reflections on the Epistle, & a Meditation on the Gospel of the Mass, & some Practices of Piety suitable for all kinds of people". The work consists of 12 volumes, one for each month. A precious copy in contemporary morocco, bearing the coat of arms of Louis de France, dauphin of France (1729-1765), son of Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska, father of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X. The copy belonged to Jean-François de Narbonne-Lara (1718-1806), Maréchal des Camps et armées du Roi, gentleman to the Infant-Duke of Parma in 1758, and commander in the Haut-Languedoc. In 1749, he married Françoise de Châlus (1734-1821), then aged 15, lady-in-waiting to Louise Élisabeth de France from 1749 to 1759, then favorite and influential lady-in-waiting to Princess Adélaïde de France from 1764 to 1800. She was also the mistress of King Louis XV. The bookplate on this copy features the couple's escutcheons (1st gules plain (NARBONNE-LARA), 2nd chequy Or and gules (CHALUS)). The copy later came into the possession of the politician Sosthènes II Marie Charles Gabriel de La Rochefoucauld, Duc de Bisaccia (1825-1908). Spine and some boards faded, some rubbing to headpieces and some spotting, headpiece of July volume missing, corners dulled. Traces of wetness to June and July bindings. Light spotting in April and July volumes. Provenance: Louis de France, with his coat of arms on the boards. - Jean-François de Narbonne-Lara and Françoise de Châlus, with their bookplates. - Sosthènes II Marie Charles Gabriel de La Rochefoucauld, Duc de Bisaccia, with his bookplate.