Philippe de COMMINES. Cronique & hystoire... contenant les choses advenues durant le regne du Roy Loys Xie tant en France Bourgongne Flandres Arthois Angleterre q Espaigne et lieux circonvoisins Nouvellement imprime a Paris. In-4, brown calf, Estiene in a medallion on the first cover and Despinay on the second, spine with 6 ornate nerves (17th century binding), modern brown half-chagrin folder and slipcase. Bechtel, 158/C-443 // Brunet, II-188 // Fairfax Murray, 101 // Tchemerzine-Scheler, II-450 // USTC, 30904. (116f.) / A-S6, T-V4 / 42 long lines, gothic car / 179 x 264 mm. Rare first edition of the first six books of the Chronique de Philippe de Commines, seigneur d'Argenton. Born in 1445 into a family of high-ranking Burgundian civil servants, an adviser to Charles the Bold, Philippe de Commines then became attached to Louis XI, became a minister and was employed by him in numerous political negotiations. After the death of Louis XI in 1483, he was a member of the Council during the regency of Anne de Beaujeu, encouraged the intrigues of the Duc d'Orléans, was imprisoned in an iron cage in Loches for eight months, then served again under Charles VIII but without regaining the power and influence he had under Louis XI. In his memoirs, Commines shows himself to be a first-rate historian. His judgements are impartial and his accounts faithful, but betrayals and even crimes, far from arousing his indignation, are reported by him coldly, without emphasis, seen as means to success and judged by their results alone and without any moral considerations (Larousse). Commines' memoirs contain eight books. The first six are published here for the first time. They are devoted to the confrontation between Louis XI and Charles of Burgundy and end with the death of Louis XI. The edition is adorned with a handsome engraved title in the architectural style with columns, putti, medallions, etc., with the arms of France supported by two angels on the verso, lettering in the text and the printer's mark on the last leaf. Glued to the centre of the title is a rectangular piece of paper with a woodcut, probably intended to conceal a signature. Old restored binding, heavily soiled, title a little trimmed, restored in the upper part by a paper glued to the spine. Stains on 3 leaves (ink) and a spot of rust on leaf V1. Provenance: Estiene Despinay (or d'Espinay), whose name appears on the binding and about whom our research has been unsuccessful.