Reglement du Roy, et Instructions touchant l’administration des haras du royaume. Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1717. In-4°. [2] pp. of table, 154 pp. Royal arms in title and head, ornate letter and tailpieces. Contemporary havana calf, d5 ribbed spine decorated with flowers and a crowned lily at the foot, red morocco title piece, gilt roulette on the cuts, red edges.
Rare first edition of the regulations issued by the Regent Philippe d’Orléans in 1717.
The government, frightened by the ever-increasing degeneration of the horse species in France, the shortage of horses in the kingdom and the enormous amount of money spent on remounts abroad in 1688 and 1700, felt it had to find ways of increasing and improving French horses. A regulation concerning the administration of the kingdom’s stud farms established a regular system that was in force and followed with a few modifications until the revolution of 1789. These regulations were completed in the following two years and published in 1724 by the Imprimerie Royale, in-4°, 175 pp. It entrusted the provincial intendants with the administration of the royal stud farms; alongside these existed the stud farms of the great lords, some of which were very important: the Chambord stud farm, for example, had 241 stallions and was a real public establishment. At the same time, the services of stallion guards were created, which gave rise to abuses. This system was quite expensive; in 1764, it cost 695,140 fr.
Letters Patent from the King, on the Regulations made for the Kingdom’s Stud Service, 22 February 1717. « Nous avons par nostre Reglement de cejourd’huy, ordonné ce que Nous voulons estre observé à l’avenir pour le Service des Haras dans l’Etenduë de nostre Royaume : Et comme par nos Arrest des 28 Octobre 1683 & 21 May 1695 & nostre Declaration du 22 Septembre 1709 Nous vous avons particulierement attribué la connoissance & Jurisdiction de tout ce qui concerne lesdits Haras & les Privileges des Gardes-Estalons, avec pouvoir de rendre vos Ordonnances, sauf l’appel en nostre Conseil ; Nous désirons que vous donniez la mesme attention à l’Execution dudit Reglement. A ces Causes, de l’avis de nostre tres cher & tres amé le Duc d’Orleans Regent, de nostre tres cher & tres amé Cousin le Duc de Bourbon, de nostre tres cher & tres amé Oncle le duc du Maine, de nostre tres cher & tres amé Oncle le Comte de Toulouse, & autres Pairs de France, grands & notables Personnages de nostre Royaume, Nous vous mandons & ordonnons de faire garder & observer selon sa forme & teneur ledit Reglement, Ensemble les Formules cy attachées sous le Contre-scel de nostre Chancellerie ; Et que vous ayez à le faire lire & publier par tout où besoin sera, chacun dans l’Estenduë de vostre Département, sans permettre qu’il y soit contrevenu en quelque sorte & manière que ce puisse estre, nonobstant tous autres Arrest, Ordonnances & Reglemens à ce contraires. Voulons qu’aux copies dudit Reglement, desdites Formules & des Presentes deuëment collationnées par l’un de nos amez & Feaux Conseillers-Secretaires, soy soit ajoûtée comme à l’Original ; Car tel est nostre plaisir. Donné à Paris le vingt-deuxième jour de Fevrier mil sept cens dix-sept, Et de nostre Regne le fecond. Signé Louis. Et plus bas, Par le Roy, le Duc d’Orléans Régent présent. Phelypeaux ». (pp. 1 et 2 of our copy).
‘On 28 October 1683, the decree of the Council concerning the re-establishment of the kingdom’s stud farms was published […]. [A decree had been issued on this subject eighteen years earlier, during Colbert’s administration: the purpose of the 1683 decree was therefore to give new vigour to its predecessor. From this point onwards, the administration of the kingdom’s stud farms was set up, and regulations and instructions followed one another. In 1717, the Imprimerie Royale published a collection of 154 pages in-4 ’ (F. Michel, Du passé et de l’avenir des haras).
Wear and stains to the binding, small worm work in the corner of the first 4 leaves, a few rings and a few small wet spots in the corners, all without gravity. A good and rare copy in its original binding.
A rare work of great interest for the study of the history of stud farms and horse breeding.
900 €