MOULIN (Charles du) Lyon, Pour Ledit du Molin [Senneton Frères], 1564. Abuse of small dates [...]. In-4 (22,4 x 15,2 cm), vellum over boards framed with three fillets and decorated with a central oval medallion and azure gilt spandrels, smooth spine decorated with gilt motifs simulating caissons, gilt edges [binding attributed to Claude Picques, "relieur du roi", c. 1564-1566]. 740 p. title and privilege [2 p.], epistle to the King [12 p.], table [22 p.], 699 p. (incorrectly numbered 701 p.), [3 p.]. *4, **4, ***4, ****4, *****2, a-z4, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, aa-tt4. First French edition, considerably enlarged, of this violent Gallican diatribe by Charles du Moulin, one of the most famous French jurisconsults in the entourage of Charles IX, against the exactions of the papacy. Concerned with his personal propaganda, Du Moulin seems to have made gifts of certain copies to powerful members of the court, after having had them bound in supple vellum decorated with gilding, like the present copy. This binding can thus be dated fairly precisely, between 1564, the date of publication of the work, and 1566, the date of the author's death. A superb copy in a binding by Claude Picques, bookbinder to kings Henri II and Charles IX (c. 1555-1574). The binding, "made of an unusually fine and refined soft vellum", is "very comparable to those made by Claude Picques in 1572 for the presentation copies of the Entrée de Charles IX à Paris, in particular those of Charles IX and Catherine de Médicis" (Verron). (Verron). Less precious than the royal luxury bindings executed in morocco, these bindings in Picques' "second style" were less expensive but still very elegant, as shown by the refinement of the original irons used by the royal bookbinder (cornucopia iron for the spandrels, frieze of ovals and azure fleuron). A remarkably fresh copy, meticulously adjusted, including the 6 blank leaves bound in place of the missing p. 583-590 (quire ee), as is often the case. Although the BnF copy (Rés. 4°-LD6-4) is complete, two other copies in similar bindings that have come up for sale have the same gap. Copies with the same missing quire: Grolier, Le guide du bibliophile et du libraire, VI, p. 335-336, ex. sold on 2 March 1954. "one cah. is missing (p. 582-90) and has always been missing; the rel. has replaced it with 6 bl. pap. pages, ruled in the same way and with the same gilt". Matterlin, Catalogue bibliographique des ventes publiques. Années 1980-1982, p. 262, ex. sold on 28 January 1982. "6 ff. paper bl. Adjusted to replace a missing quire". Laces missing. Small stains, creases, tiny tears and discreet marginal restorations, some foxing especially on endpapers. A little short at the head (especially on leaves k2 and k3). Tiny worm work through leaves ff4 to tt4. Pagination errors, leaves **2 and **3, as well as g2 and g3 interchanged. Provenance Cueris (?), Ad. du Roÿ (handwritten bookplate in brown ink on the title page, 17th-18th c.). Bibliography USTC no. 1202. Pettegree, French Vernacular Books, no. 17372. Baudrier, Bibliographie lyonnaise, VII, p. 432-433. Du Verdier, Bibliothèque, p. 156-157. Le Bars, "Picques, Claude", Dictionnaire encyclopédique du livre, [3], N-Z, p. 238-239. Quoted and studied by Guy Verron in "Les reliures de l'Entrée de Charles IX à Paris (1572) et les autres reliures en vélin souple avec décor doré réalisées par Claude Picques", Bulletin du bibliophile, 2014, n° 2, p. 282-298. First French edition, significantly expanded, of this violent Gallican diatribe by Charles du Moulin, one of the most famous French legal scholars in the entourage of Charles IX, against the excesses of the papacy. Superb copy bound by Claude Picques, binder to Kings Henry II and Charles IX (c. 1555-1574).