HEREDIA José Maria de (1842-1905). Les Trophées. Paris, Lemerre, 1893; in-8, ebony morocco, title and author in gilt letters on the upper cover forming a rectangular frame outlined with gilt fillets, lyre and palm leaf in the centre of the rectangle, round ribbed spine, emerald green morocco lining with gilt decoration of laurels and brown listel framing, brown moire endpapers, double endpapers, gilt edges on witnesses, cover (G. Cretté, Sccr de Marius Michel). First edition of one of the Parnassian masterpieces. A second state copy with the title in red, a first print run of 10 copies on ordinary paper with the title in black having preceded the general print run by a month in order to present the book to the members of the jury of the Académie française. There is a third state with additions on p. 196 and a fourth in in-12 format. Heredia was a man of one book. The Trophées bring together poems that have never been published before or that have appeared from time to time in literary journals; they describe the progress of humanity through scenes of great evocative power, such as Les Conquérants, a universally known sonnet. One of 25 Whatman reprinted in in-8 format, No. 20, first large paper with 25 Chine. The volume is enriched by an autograph dispatch from the author to the excellent poet, to the excellent friend André de Guerne . André de Guerne was in fact one of Heredia's closest friends and the two poets had published Leconte de Lisle's works together. The copy is also full of numerous pieces bound at the head or in the body of the volume: -a poem copied especially for Ch. de Guerne as it had been omitted from the edition (Le Thermodon) ; -an autograph letter signed by Henri de Régnier to Henry Houssaye, 3 pp. in-12 ; - 3 autograph letters signed by Henri de Régnier to Henry Houssaye, announcing or commenting on Heredia's death; - an autograph letter from Régnier about an illustrated edition of Trophées; - 4 handwritten sonnets: la Jeune Morte, p. 48 ; la Dogaresse, p. 99 ; les Conquérants, p. 109 ; Soleilcouchant p. 140 ; - A handwritten poem by Marie de Régnier, Thallo ; - 3 watercolours by Georges Desvallières to illustrate 3 poems in the collection; - 8 letters from the painter Georges Desvallières to Boremans concerning the illustration of Trophées; - a long autograph letter from Heredia to the Queen of Romania (October 1888); - 2 autograph letters from Heredia to Henry Houssayes on the death of his father Arsène and his replacement at the Académie française. Fernand Vandérem, L'édition originale des Trophées, in Bulletin du Bibliophile, 1 June 1923.