BALZAC (Honoré de). The Excommunicated. Posthumous... Lot 10

[BALZAC (Honoré de). The Excommunicated. Posthumous novel. (entirely unpublished.) Paris : Hippolyte Souverain, 1837 . - 2 volumes in one in-8, dark green basane, smooth spine decorated (period binding). First edition of one of Balzac's early novels, forming volumes XV and XVI of the "Oeuvres complètes de Horace de Saint-Aubin". As Talvart and Place point out: "the manuscript of this novel begun by Balzac was completed by Count Ferdinand de Gramont and the Marquis Auguste de Belloy". Copy in contemporary binding, enriched on the endpapers with 5 very nice original unsigned drawings, made at the time, representing 2 knights, a shield, a portrait and a bearded character in profile, the latter crossed out. Rubbing from use on the spine. Some foxing. Tear in the false title of the first volume, with lack and damage to the text.