The Tales Of The Heptameron Volume V Part 21

V. _L'Heptameron, &c_. (Gruget). Guill. Rouille, Lyons, 1561, small 12mo; Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1561, 16mo.

VI. The same. Norment & Bruneau, and Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1567, 16mo.

VII. The same. Louys Cloquemin, Lyons, 1572, 16mo (reprinted in 1578 and 1581).

VIII. The same. Michel de Roigny, Paris, 1574, 16mo (round letters).

IX. The same. Gab. Buon, Paris, 1581, 16mo.

X. The same. Abel L'Angelier, Paris, 1581, 18mo.

XI. The same. Jean Osmont, Rouen, 1598, 578 pp., sin. 12mo (good type).

XII. The same. Romain Beauvais, Rouen, 1598, 589 pp. 12mo.

In the seventeenth century the _Heptameron_ was frequently reprinted, Gruget's text, with a few changes, being still followed until 1698, when it occurred to some obscure literary man to put the tales into so-called _beau langage_. At the same time the t.i.tle of _Heptameron_, devised by Gruget, was discarded (see post, No. XVI.).

XIII. _L'Heptameron_, &c., printed by Ch. Chappellein, Paris, 1607, 18mo.

XIV. The same. _Sur Pimprime a Paris_, J. Bessin (Holland), 1615, sm.

l2mo (reprinted in 1698, 2. vols. 12mo).

XV. The same. David du Pet.i.t-Val, Rouen, 1625, 12mo.

XVI. _Contes et Nouvelles de Marguerite de Valois, Reine de Navarre, mis en beau langage_. Gallet, Amsterdam, 1698, 2 vols, sm. 8vo. This edition is valued not for its _beau langage_, but for the copperplate engravings ill.u.s.trating it. These are coa.r.s.ely executed, and are attributed to Roman de Hooge, but do not bear his name. A reprint of the edition appeared at Amsterdam in 1700.

XVII. The same. Gallet, Amsterdam, 1708, 2 vols. sm. 8vo. Virtually a reprint, but with several of the Roman de Hooge plates deficient, and replaced by others signed Harrewyn.

XVIII. The same. La Haye (Chartres), 1733, 2 vols. sm. 12mo.

XIX. The same. Londres, 1744, 2 vols. 12mo.

XX. Heptameron Francais, ou les Nouvelles de Marguerite, Reine de Navarre; chez la Nouvelle Societe Typographique, Berne, 1780-1, 3 vols.

8vo. On some copies the t.i.tle is simply, Nouvelles de Marguerite, etc., Berne, 1781; on others Beat Louis Walthard is designated as the publisher.

For this edition were executed the copperplate engravings, designed by Freudenberg and Dunker, which ill.u.s.trate the present translation. It was at first intended to issue the work in parts, but after parts i. and ii.

had been published (at 4 livres each) the project was abandoned. A few copies of these two parts are in existence; they bear the date 1778.

Freudenberg began his designs in the previous year, and finished them in 1780.

This edition is greatly prized for its ill.u.s.trations; the text, however, largely modified by Jean Rodolphe de Sinner, is without value. The work was reissued at Paris in 1784 (8 vols, in 8vo, some copies 18mo), at Berne in 1792, and again in Paris in 1807 (8 vols. 18mo).

The following new editions of the _Heptameron_ have appeared during the present century:--

XXI. _Contes et Nouvelles de Marguerite, &c_. Dauthereau, Paris, 1828, 5 vols. 32mo. (Collection des romans francais et etrangers.)

XXII. _L'Heptameron, ou Histoire des Amants fortunes, &c, ancien texte publie par C. Gruget.., revu, corrige et publie avec des notes, &c., par le bibliophile Jacob_. Gosselin (Bibliotheque d'elite), Paris, 1841, 12mo. In this edition the Bibliophile Jacob (M. P. Lacroix) but slightly modified Gruget's text, and his annotation was comparatively insignificant. His work was reproduced in a volume of the _Pantheon Litteraire: Les vieux Conteurs francais_, Paris, 1841, 1. 8vo. (double cols.).

XXIII. _Heptameron des Nouvelles de... Margtierile d'Angouleme...

publiee sur les ma.n.u.scrits par la Societe des Bibliophiles Francais_ (Le Roux de Lincy, editor), Paris, 1853-4, 3 vols. sm. 18mo.

In this edition the real text of the tales was printed for the first time, M. de Lincy having carefully examined the best MSS. for this purpose. The present English translation is based upon his work. Copies of the "Bibliophiles Francais" edition, which contains a portrait of the Queen, a facsimile of a miniature, and an engraving showing her arms and device, cannot be purchased, when in fair condition, for less than 6 in Paris.

XXIV. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, etc.... avec des notes et une notice par P. L. Jacob, Bibliophile_ (Paul Lacroix). Adolphe Delahays, _Bibliotheque Gauloise_, Paris, 1858, 18mo.

In this edition M. Lacroix, following M. de Lincy's example, went to the MSS. for his text, which he annotated with care and erudition. All his notes of any importance are reproduced in the present translation. The edition of 1858 was reprinted in 1875.

XXV. _L'Heptameron, &c_. Gamier freres, Paris, n.d., 1 vol. 18mo.

This was long the "popular" edition in France. The text, which is considerably modernised, is of no value.

XXVI. _Les sept Journees de la Reine de Navarre, suivies de la huitieme_. Paris, Librairie des Bibliophiles (Jouaust), 1872, 4 vols.

l6mo.

In this edition Gruget's text is followed; the notes, &c, are by M.

Lacroix. The work is prized for its ill.u.s.trations (a portrait and eight etchings) by Leopold Flameng. It was originally issued in eight parts.

The value of the copies varies according to the paper on which they are printed. Those on India or Whatman paper, with a duplicate set of the engravings, command high prices. The text has been reissued by the same firm in two cr. 8vo vols, under the t.i.tle of _L'Heptameron des contes, etc_.

XXVII. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c_, preface, notes, &c, by Benjamin Pifteau, in the _Nouvelle Collection Jannet_, Alphonse Lemerre, Paris, 1875, 2 vols. l6mo.

This, undoubtedly the best of all the cheap editions, has been reprinted by Marpon & Flammarion, Paris, n.d. The text is from the MSS.; the notes are mainly abbreviated from those of MM. de Lincy and Lacroix. M.

Pifteau supplies an introduction and glossary.

XXVIII. _L'Heptameron, &c., publie avec Introduction, Notes et Glossaire par Felix Frank_. Liseux, Paris, 1879, 3 vols. 12mo.

This, from the literary point of view, is one of the most important of modern editions. The text is not taken from the same MS. as was followed by M. de Lincy. The tales are preceded by a lengthy introduction, in which the editor discusses Queen Margaret's work and seeks to identify the supposed narrators of her tales. He has frequently been quoted in the notes to this translation.

XXIX. _L'Heptameron, &c, avec notes, variantes et glossaire par F.

Dillaye et notice par A. France_. A. Lemerre, Paris, 1879.

A handy edition based on the MSS. The notes embody the substance of M. de Lincy's and M. Lacroix's researches with additional particulars supplied by M. Dillaye, who has been quoted in the course of the present work.

x.x.x. _L'Heptameron, &c., publie stir les ma.n.u.scrits avec les notes de MM. Le Poux de Lincy et Anatole de Montaiglon_. Auguste Eudes, Paris, 1880, 8 vols. 1. 8vo and 4 vols. cr. 8vo.

The edition in 8 vols, (two copies of which on parchment were issued at 44 each; and twelve on j.a.panese paper at 20 each) is ill.u.s.trated with the Freudenberg plates; that in 4 vols, contains the text only. The text is the same as that of No. XXIII.; but with additional notes, prefatory matter, &c. The copyright attaching to this edition was acquired for the present work, in which all M. de Montaiglon's important notes are reproduced.

Among the English translations of the _Heptameron_ are the following:--

_Heptameron_, or the _History of the Fortunate Lovers_, translated by R. Codrington, London, 1654, 12mo. (Dedicated to Thomas Stanley, the translator of Anacreon and editor of aeschylus, and based on Boaistuau's defective text.)

The _Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre, nota first translated from the original text, by Walter K. Kelly_. Bohn (extra volume), London, 1855. This has been several times reprinted. The translation is a very free rendering of M. de Lincy's text; many pa.s.sages are deficient.

The _Heptameron, &c., translated from the original French by Arthur Machen_. Privately printed (G. Redway), London, 1886, 1 vol. 1. 8vo. A scholarly translation, not annotated; ill.u.s.trated with the etchings by Flameng (see _ante_, edition xxv.).

_The Fortunate Lovers, twenty-seven novels of the Queen of Navarre, translated by Arthur Machen, edited with notes and introduction by A.

Mary F. Robinson_. G. Redway, London, 1887, 8vo. Etched frontispiece by G. P. Jacomb Hood. This only contains such of the tales as the lady-editor considered un.o.bjectionable. In her introduction she sketches the life of Queen Margaret and discusses the ident.i.ty of the supposed narrators of the tales. Some of the notes are original, but the majority are based upon the researches of French commentators.--Ed.