MORIN (Jacques) Les Armes et blasons des chevaliers... Lot 14

[MORIN (Jacques)] Les Armes et blasons des chevaliers de l'ordre du Sainct Esprit créez par Louys XIII roy de France et de Navarre. By Jacques Morin escuier sieur de la Masserie. In Paris, at Pierre Firens, rue St Jacques a l'imprimerie de taille doulce. Avec privilege du Roy, s.d. [1623] Engraved work in intaglio and instructed in ink, with 79 plates of coats of arms engraved and enhanced with color (watercolor and gouache). Large in-8°, 85 ff, preceded and followed by a paper endpaper, engraved title, engraved portrait on verso of title, title followed by 2 handwritten ff. (dedication to the King and warning), enhanced engraving (fol. 3) coat of arms and motto " Mors mihi lucrum " of Jacques Morin, herald (absent from editions), table of knights and officers (ff. 84v-85v), fine writing in brown ink, engraved cartouches enhanced with colors with opposite engraved coats of arms enhanced with gouache (79 plates of coats of arms), some cartouches instructed in brown ink, others blank. Bound in full speckled calf, spine with 5 nerves partitioned and decorated with flowers, speckled edges. Some scuffing or spotting, corners dulled (generally solid binding). Label with old quotation pasted on the upper left corner of the upper flyleaf : " 4688 bis ". Size of leaves : 145 x 199 size of binding : 155 x 207 mm. Provenance Armorial bookplate of René Le Juge de Segrais, pasted on the upper back cover. Saffroy, I, 4809 and 4810 * Guigard, Bibliothèque héraldique de la France, 691. Unique copy of the proofs before the letter of the work of Jacques Morin, published in 1623, under the title : Les Armes et blasons des chevaliers de l'ordre du Sainct Esprit créez par Louys XIII roy de France et de Navarre. Par Jacques Morin escuier sieur de la Masserie, Paris, P. Firens, 1623 (see the copy kept in Paris, Arsenal, FOL-H-3969 (1)). These editions have the text printed around the central engraving. It must be the author "s copy if one believes the presence of the engraved coat of arms of the author accompanied by his motto "Mors mihi lucrum" (fol. 3) placed after the dedication to the king (manuscript, signed "De la Masserie Morin"), of the author "s warning and of the completion of printing (manuscript) signed "De Lomenye" [completion of printing 15 February 1623]. On the motto, see Chassant and Tausin, Paris, 1878, vol. II, p. 561 : " Morin, héraut d "armes ". These proofs consist of the title and portrait of Louis XIII, the introductory pieces (handwritten) and 79 plates of coats of arms, engraved and colored at the time with, opposite, in an engraved cartouche, the names of the owners of the coat of arms as well as the heraldic description of the latter. Some cartouches are left blank. A handwritten table ends the work. The frontispiece portrait of Louis XIII is not included in the printed edition of 1623. The coat of arms and cartouches (surmounted by the dove of the Holy Spirit and the flames of The coat of arms and cartouches (surmounted by the dove of the Holy Spirit and the flames of Pentecost) were engraved by Pierre Firens, a member of the important family of engravers and print merchants, originally from Antwerp but who settled in Paris at the beginning of the 17th century. He engraved numerous portraits and scenes for Louis XIII and his entourage. On the back of the title is the engraved portrait of King Louis XIII, which also appears in the Latin edition of the Argenis by Jean Barclay. The arms of the knights and commanders of the Order of the Holy Spirit created by Louis XIII at the chapter held in 1619 are engraved, beginning with those of Louis XIII, followed by those of Henri de Bourbon, then François de la Rochefoucault, and passim. The Order of the Holy Spirit was born out of the Wars of Religion: Henry III, sensing the formation of a league of the Catholic party that would escape his authority, attempted to gather the principal leaders around him and to bind them by a personal oath. He founded the Order on December 31, 1578, dedicated to the "Benoist Sainct-Esprit", in commemoration of his ascension to the throne on the day of Pentecost.