BALZAC (Honoré de). History of the Emperor. Told in a barn by an old soldier. Paris, Henri Leclerc, 1904. Small in-4° bound in full green morocco, spine ribbed, boards stamped with the imperial eagle with the Legion of Honour in the centre, double gilt fillet at the edges, garnet morocco and olive green moire endpapers, gilt tr., original covers and spine preserved. Bound by Mercier, Cuzin's successor. Decorated with 15 coloured engravings in text. Limited and numbered edition, this being 1 of 100 copies on Manufactures du Marais vellum paper including a black suite of the illustrations. Our copy is enriched by an engraving enhanced with gouache in the frontispiece by the illustrator, a colour suite hors texte and a suite of a state of the colours signed by Adolphe Lalauze in pencil, and a print of the title finial numbered 3/5 and signed by the illustrator. A fine copy in very good condition. Ex-libris of the Viscount de Savigny de Moncorps Provenance: Collection of René de Savigny de Moncorps (1915), [Drouot sale, Paris, 1916], Collection of Princess Marie-Clotilde Bonaparte, Countess of Witt, which has remained in the family to this day. Very good condition Minimal and superficial white marks on the lower cover Rare and light foxing in the margins of some pages and plates Clean pages and covers preserved