PERCHERON (Luc) Pyrrhe, tragedy. Paris, Crapelet, 1845. Large in-12, red morocco, triple gilt fillet, framed in the Du Seuil style with three arched fillets around the edges and dotted fleurons at the corners, diamond-shaped motif in the centre of the covers composed of four large arabesque fleurons emanating from a central four-lobed medallion, spine richly decorated with small irons, fillets on the edges, inner gilt lace, gilt edges (Bauzonnet-Trautz). First edition, extremely rare, published by Raoul de Montesson and Max de Clinchamps "after the autograph manuscript preserved in the library of Le Mans". "Unknown to authors who have dealt with the history of French theatre, Pyrrhe, dated 1592, and therefore predating Alexandre Hardy's essays, is certainly worthy of interest; Perhaps today we are not only drawing attention to a tragic poet whose name appears only in the catalogue of the library at Le Mans, but we are also highlighting a work that has nothing to envy the esteemed productions of Jodelle, Jean de la Taille and Robert Garnier, one of the glories of our province in the 16th century" (publisher's notice). Only 16 copies of this edition were printed, "intended solely for a few elite collections" (p. vi). One of the 2 first copies printed on vellum, nominative, this one reserved for Raoul de Montesson, co-editor of the work with Max de Clinchamps (whose copy, also printed on vellum, was presented by Librairie Giraud-Badin on 20 December 2005). The volume is marked Exemplaire de M. le vicomte de Montesson on p. vii, as well as his armorial bookplate. A superb copy in a magnificent binding by Bauzonnet, decorated by Trautz with small irons in the style of early seventeenth-century bindings. Upper spine cracked along the head box. P. Paris, "D'un livre d'une excessive rareté", Bulletin du bibliophile, 1845, n°4, 159-167 - Brunet, Suppl. II, 198.