Geoffroy de VILLERHARDOUYN. L'Histoire de Geoffroy de Villehardouyn,... de la conqueste de Constantinople par les Barons François associez aux Venitiens, l'an 1204. d'un costé en son vieil langage ; & de l'autre en un plus moderne & intelligible par Blaise de Vigenère. In-4, red morocco, gilt toothed border and arms in the centre of the boards, spine with 4 ornate nerves (17th century binding), modern box. Brunet, V-1238 // Olivier, 1902-1 // Tchemerzine-Scheler, V-957. (14f.)-CLXXXVIf. / ã4, ē4, ī4, õ2, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, AA2 / 150 x 210 mm. First edition of this chronicle of the capture of Constantinople in 1204. Geoffroy de Villehardouin, born around 1155 near Troyes and died in Thessaly around 1213, was seneschal of Champagne under Count Thibaut V. Enrolled in the Fourth Crusade, he played a major role in the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and the founding of the Eastern Latin Empire. A privileged witness to these events, he became their chronicler: his interesting Histoire de la conquête de Constantinople... is one of the oldest monuments of French prose (Larousse). It is said to have appeared in fragmentary form in Venice in 1573, but bibliographers question the existence of this edition and consider the 1585 edition, ours, to be the original. This edition offers the original story in Old French alongside the modern, intelligible version given by Blaise de Vigenère. A copy bearing the arms of François de Rignac, with his motto "Semper in altum". François de Rignac (1595-1660) was the King's public prosecutor at the Court of Aides in Montpellier in 1621. A fine copy despite the stained second board. More or less pronounced angular staining throughout the volume, small angular restoration to a few leaves and angular loss to the last, old underlining and annotations in ink, particularly on 5 leaves. Provenance: partially faded bookplate on title and François de Rignac (arms and motto).