Symphorien CHAMPIER and Robert de BALSAT. La nef des princes et des batailles de noblesse avec aultres enseignemens utilz & profitables a toutes manieres de gens pour congnoistre a bienvivre & mourir dediques et envoyes a divers prelas ｸ seigneurs... In-folio, fir green morocco, boards decorated in the Du Seuil style, spine with 6 nerfs finely decorated with small irons, interior lace, edges gilt on marbling (Bauzonnet-Trautz). Baudrier, XII-56 // Bechtel, 49/B-17 // Brunet, I-1769 // Fairfax Murray, 83 // USTC, 11002. 66f (incorrectly numbered LXV) / a-l6 / 40 or 41 long lines, sometimes in 2 columns, gothic style / 159 x 240 mm. A rare first edition of one of Champier's most curious books, published in Lyon in 1502. Symphorien Champier, the famous French physician and historian, was born in 1471 (1472?) in Saint-Symphorien-le-Loise and died around 1540. After studying humanities in Paris, he devoted himself to the study of Belles-Lettres and then medicine, receiving his doctorate at the age of twenty. He practised his art in Lyon and in 1503 produced a work entitled La Nef des dames vertueuses, which won him the admiration of his contemporaries, who flocked to see him. He married one of Bayard's cousins, Marguerite Du Terrail, and then, in 1509, followed Duke Antoine de Lorraine as his physician as he set off to join Louis XII, who had conquered Milan. He distinguished himself at the battle of Agnedel, followed his protector to Nancy, crossed the Alps again and distinguished himself at the battle of Marignan, where he was made a knight of Saint-Georges with golden spurs. On his return to France, he settled in Lyon, where he practised medicine, wrote works of belles lettres, and was involved in the city's municipal affairs, where he set up the Collège de la Trinité and founded the Collège de Médecine. The names of the two authors are given in the title and the work is often referred to Balsat, the first named in the title, but we have preferred to give the authorship to Symphorien Champier, Balsat having only written the Nef des batailles which occupies leaves 54 to 63 and Champier being the author of the rest of the volume. La Nef des Princes is, according to Potier (in Catalogue J. Renard, no. 269), a sort of macedoine intermingled in French and Latin, containing everything from moralities to jokes and a great deal of erudition... It contains, among others, the Testament de ung vieil prince, le Doctrinal des princes, La Fleur des princes, le Dyalogue de noblesse, la Declaracion du ciel et du monde et des merveilles de la terre, la Malice des femmes, le Doctrinal du père de famille, les Enseignemens utiles a tous les peres de famille, le Regime d'ung serviteur, and so on. This, as Bechtel writes, is all the knowledge necessary for the office of prince, but the work, as we can guess, goes far beyond that. The work is profusely illustrated with woodcuts of various sizes and on the most diverse and curious subjects. A total of 42 woodcuts, 7 of which are repeated. Particularly noteworthy is the title with a ship on board featuring a king, a queen, a prince and another king holding a lyre (David?), and a curious representation of the world with the names of the countries placed on a large disc. Fairfax Murray and Potier, via the Ruble catalogue entry (no. 83), point out that four metal engravings, known as interrasiles or à la manière éraillée, which had been used by Numeister for two editions he gave of the Meditations by Turrecremata, have been used again here (f. XIX, XXV, XXX marked XXXIII and LIII). A very good copy despite 2 minor scratches to the second cover and a stain to the title. Provenance: Baron Joseph de Ruble (ex-libris, 28 May-3 June 1899, no. 83) and Fairfax Murray (label, no. 83).