Philippes DESPORTES. The first works. In-4, cream vellum, 4 ribbed spine with inscription in brown ink, red speckled edges (Binding of the period). Brunet, II-647 // Cioranescu, 7771 // Tchemerzine-Scheler, II-876. (4 f.)-198 f.-(2 f.) / *4, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, AA-DD4 / 145 x 223 mm. A rare first edition which can be found at the address of Robert Estienne or Robert Le Mangnier. Philippe Desportes (1545-1606), who came from a middle-class background in Chartres, had a solid education based on classical studies and great erudition. He rose through the ranks from a simple abbot to become, through the sheer power of his talent, a reader to King Henry III, a State Councillor, the owner of a number of abbeys and the head of a fortune worth more than ten thousand écus. A far more correct and pure writer than Ronsard, [...] the works of Desportes must necessarily form part of any poetic library (Viollet-Le-Duc). The First Works contain "Les Amours de Diane", "Les Amours d'Hippolyte", "Cléonice", "Derniers amours de Philippe Desportes", "Élégies", "Imitations de l'Arioste", "Diverses amours" and other "Œuvres meslees". A fine copy in its contemporary binding. Boards a little faded. A small brown stain on 7 leaves which seems to correspond to a paper burn caused by candle wax, 2 marginal handwritten annotations.