HOLY SPIRIT (Order of the). Marc d'or des ordres du Roy et Rentes sur l'ordre du St esprit. 1771-1781. 14 vol. in-folio of handwritten accounts bound in full leopard calf, spines decorated with gilt, boards stamped with the title and names of the officials in gilt (Period binding). Triplicate copies copied from the originals of the accounts drawn up by François Louis Tronchin, Trésorier Général, and Le Vacher Duplessis, Procureur, detailing by name the taxes levied and paid to the Ordre du Saint-Esprit between 1771 and 1781. The Marc d'Or was a symbolic sum of money paid by new Knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit at their reception. This offering was used to finance the Order's ceremonies, the upkeep of its members and charitable works. The term marc here refers to an ancient unit of weight used to measure precious metals, particularly gold and silver. From 1771 to 1781, the Order of the Holy Spirit continued to function as an instrument of monarchical prestige. Louis XV and then Louis XVI used the Order to strengthen ties with the nobility, especially against a backdrop of growing tensions (reforms, parliamentary opposition, criticism of the luxury of the court). Although the ceremonies were spaced further apart, they retained their symbolic importance, and the Marc d'Or remained a marker of rank. The 11 books of the Marc d'Or bring together the accounts for the years 1771 (1 vol.), 1773 (2 vol.), 1775 (2 vol.), 1777 (2 vol.), 1779 (2 vol.) and 1781 (2 vol.). The 3 books of Rentes set out the accounts for 1775 (1 vol.) and 1777 (2 vol.). These 14 volumes are entirely handwritten. A fine set. Provenance: Tronchin-Givaudan library, then by descent to the present owners. Good condition Bindings: Several corners bumped or spotted Boards slightly rubbed with some scratches Some headpieces torn off and jaws split Indentation, damage and loss at the edge of the cover of the 1775 book of annuities Inside pages: Clean, with some scattered foxing to some volumes Rentes s.l. du s. Esprit, finest work: [90] ff. [3] blank ff. Marc d'or Année 1775, largest volume: [453] ff, [2] blank ff. Tronchin- Givaudan Library Assembled and preserved by several generations of the Tronchin and Givaudan families, the Tronchin-Givaudan library bears witness to a deep commitment to knowledge, historical awareness and the exceptional. The selection we have the honour of offering at auction highlights a subtle balance between erudition and the art of living. Comprising mainly works from the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, this collection covers more than five centuries of printed production, closely linked to the history of Geneva and the Tronchin family, one of the city's great patrician lineages, now extinct. A number of seventeenth-century titles hark back to the origins of this lineage, notably around the figure of Théodore Tronchin (lot 2567). However, it was in the 18th century, with the acquisition of the Bessinge estate by Jacob Tronchin in 1764, that the collection really took shape. The works, many of which bear the bookplates of Jean Armand Tronchin (1732-1813) and his son Henri (1794-1865), make up a collection faithful to the ideals of the Enlightenment, combining public law, classical humanities, science, travel accounts (lots 2471, 2479, 2554..), major works of 18th-century printing - including the plan of Paris by Turgot (lot 2591) - and rare editions bearing the royal coat of arms, such as those of Madame de Pompadour (lot 2545). At the turn of the 20th century, a new page was turned when Xavier Givaudan (1867-1966), a leading figure in the industrial boom alongside his brother Léon Givaudan (1875-1936) in the fields of synthetic perfume, chemicals and soap, established in Switzerland in 1917, acquired the estate in 1938 after renting it for several years. The library and works have been preserved and in part passed on to his descendants. His brother Léon Givaudan built up a bibliophile collection focusing on Art Deco books, bringing together works sublimated by bindings signed by the great contemporary bookbinders (lots 2606, 2626, 2648, etc.). His library was sold at auction in Paris on 3 June 1988. André Givaudan (1895-1973), Xavier Givaudan's son, also had a particular interest in literature, joining several bibliophile societies and adding a number of modern illustrated books to the collection. All the lots marked in brown in the printed catalogue come from the Tronchin-Givaudan Collection, then by descent to the current owners.