ASPECT (M. d'). Histoire de l'ordre royal et militaire... Lot 10

ASPECT (M. d'). Histoire de l'ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis by M. d'Aspect, historiographer of the said order. Paris, Duchesne, 1780. 3 vol. in-8, half marbled calf, ornate smooth spines, red pages (period binding). Unfinished work: the first two volumes deal with the army (promotions from 1693 to 1700 and nomenclature of knights appointed from 1701 to 1715). The third volume is devoted to the Navy, but promotions stop in 1703. It also contains a dictionary of naval terms, a table of the main maritime events of Louis XIV's reign, and a list of subscribers. (Saffroy, I, 6109). Created by an edict of Louis XIV in April 1693, the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis comprises three grades: knight, commander and grand-cross. It honors land and sea officers who have served the King for more than 10 years and demonstrated their bravery. Bookplate from the Chissay library with the Zitto motto of the de Baillon family, 19th-century owners of this Touraine château, which welcomed Paul Reynaud and General de Gaulle during the debacle of June 1940. Occasional brown spots, but a fine copy.