[Eccentrica, Botany]. Anon.

[Florilège catholique].

1809. [France?: c. 1809-1820].

8vo, 36 leaves, printed rectos only, illustrated. Brown pebbled cloth, rebacked, leather backstrip with raised bands, gilt-stamped bees and the binder's title "Florilége" [sic] in the compartments, green coated endpapers. Cloth considerably stained, backstrip rubbed, pages lightly toned and foxed, but sound overall.

§ A curious book, appearing to be a lithographic facsimile of a manuscript in which pious reflections are inspired by wayside flowers in the format of a flora. With adept illustrations of the flowers and some religious scenes, printed on better paper in monochrome in one of three inks and tipped to each facing page. There is no title page, instead the book opens with a quote from Chateaubriand's Les Martyrs (published 1809), beneath which is the stamp "Déposé" and the handwritten inscription "Propriété de l'auteur..." the name that follows is unfortunately illegible. The author appears to have been a French priest, appending the suffix "ptre" here and also to the printed name "Jean" which closes the facsimile manuscript. Presumably multiple copies would have been printed but no others have been located. This copy came from the famous eccentrica and erotica collection of Gershon Legman. Item #123238

Price: $350.00