1894 Rare Book set - The Heptameron of the Tales of Margaret, Queen of Navarre
Author: Margaret, Queen of Navarre. Illustrated by S. Freudenberg and Dunker.
Title: The Heptameron of the Tales of Margaret, Queen of Navarre.
Publisher: London, The Society of English Bibliophilists, 1894. First thus. Five volumes, complete.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 5.5 inches.
Pages: Over 1350 pages.
Binding: Attractive and near fine, handsomely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in half morocco leather over marbled boards, spine with raised bands, elaborate gilt decorations, and gilt titles (hinges fine) under a protective removable mylar cover. Top edge gilt.
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean, nice ex-libris of a previous owner -Hamilton and Jean Barry Garland- on the first endpapers - as shown).
Illustrations: Enriched with seventy-three full-page engravings designed by S. Freudenberg, and 150 additional head and tailpieces by Dunker. (Complete).
Estimate: (USD $750-$1000).
The books: The Heptameron is a celebrated collection of seventy-two short stories, modeled on Boccaccio's Decameron, attributed to Margaret of Navarre (1492–1549). These stories, narrated by ten travelers stranded by a flood, explore themes of love, virtue, and deception, reflecting the intellectual and moral dilemmas of the Renaissance era. This 1894 English edition follows the authentic text translated by M. Le Roux de Lincy and includes an essay by George Saintsbury on the significance of The Heptameron in literary history.
The author: Margaret of Navarre, sister to King Francis I of France, was a Renaissance patron, writer, and diplomat. Her court was a hub of literary and humanist thought, fostering figures such as Rabelais and Calvin. The Heptameron, written near the end of her life, remains one of her most enduring legacies, showcasing her wit and deep understanding of human nature.
The illustrators: Samuel Freudenberg (1745-1801) was a Swiss artist renowned for his elegant Neoclassical engravings, while Dunker (1746-1812) provided additional embellishments, enriching the narrative with delicate ornamentation and finely detailed compositions. Their collaboration in this edition adds immense artistic value to this literary masterpiece.