Charles IX, Recueil des choses notables à Bayonne, Paris, 1566, binding by Douglas Cockerell

[Charles IX, King of France] Recueil des choses notables, qui ont esté faites à Bayonne, à l'entreveue du Roy Treschrestien Charles neufieme de ce nom, & la Roine sa treshonoree mere, avec la Roine Catholique sa soeur. Paris: Michel de Vascosan, 1566

An uncommon festival book to commemorate the entry of Charles IX and his mother Catherine de Médicis into the town of Bayonne on 30 May 1565, where they met Charles's sister Elisabeth, Queen of Spain.

The woodcuts are generally attributed to Olivier Codoré; they depict the gold pendants Codoré designed to be used in the ceremony. The verses have been attributed to Pierre Ronsard. For another festival book for Charles IX, see lot 468.

This book was also published in quarto format by Vascosan in the same year.

8vo (169 x 105 mm). Roman and italic type, 22 lines. collation: A-K⁸ L¹⁰: 89 leaves (of 90, without final blank leaf). Woodcut initials, woodcut illustrations, title-page with red ruling. (Partly erased armorial stamp on title-page, another stamp on B5r with paper overlay, paper repairs to title-page, small stain on A6, light browning.)

binding: Tan morocco gilt (175 x 116 mm), by Douglas Cockerell and dated 1901, gilt frame with corner fleurons on covers, spine compartments outlined with gilt fillets and with gilt lettering, retaining old red speckled edges

provenance: Armorial stamp of a bishop on B5r — Wilfrid Voynich (1865-1930), letter (written on his behalf by J.S. Howe) dated 26 October 1901, addressed to the Rev. Thompson Yates about this book, tipped into front of volume — [Rev.] Samuel Ashton Thompson Yates (1843-1903), armorial bookplate dated 1894 — Yates, Thompson and Bright: a family of bibliophiles, sale, Christie's, London, 16 July 2014, part of lot 105. acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. references: USTC 19618; cf. Mortimer, Harvard French 204 and Watanabe-O'Kelly 1633 (both for the 4to edition)