Coustau, Pegme, Lyon, 1560, contemporary limp vellum

Coustau, Pierre. Le Pegme de Pierre Coustau, avec les narrations philosophiques, mis de Latin en Françoys par Lanteaume de Romieu Gentilhomme d'Arles. Lyon: Macé Bonhomme, 1560

A reprint of the 1555 French translation (see lot 495 for the first edition in Latin), by Lanteaume de Romieu. While ostensibly a translation, the version by Lanteaume is more of an adaptation; the 1555 translation did not include the narrations philosophiques, which were then included for this edition.

Loosely inserted is a letter from Robert Brun (author of Le livre illustre en France au XVIe siècle (1930) and librarian at the Réserve of the Bibliothèque nationale), dated 12 February 1938, casting doubt on the attribution of the woodcuts to Eskrich. Mortimer suggests that the blocks were cut from designs by Eskrich, but not very well.

8vo (161 x 104 mm). Roman and italic type, 26 lines. collation: A-Z⁸ Aa-Cc⁸ Dd⁴: 212 leaves. Each page within a woodcut border, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut illustrations. (Occasional light foxing, title-page slightly stained and frayed at head, a few small marginal wormholes.)

binding: Contemporary limp vellum (167 x 113 mm), foredge flaps, stubs from two pairs of ties. (Binding slightly soiled, upper pastedown torn.)

acquisition: Purchased in 1990 from Robin Halwas, London. references: Adam, Rawles & Saunders F.202; Landwehr, Romanic emblem books 244; von Gültlingen VIII, Macé Bonhomme 264