Stephanus Junius Brutus [i. e. Philippe de Mornay, said Duplessis-Mornay or Hubert Languet]. De la Puissance légitime du Prince sur le peuple, et du peuple sur le Prince. Traité très-utile & digne de lecture en ce temps, escrit en Latin par Estienne Iunius Brutus, & nouvellement traduit en François. No name, no place [Genève, François Estienne ?], 1581. Little in-8°. 264 pp. Full marbled fawn calfskin, richly decorated smooth spine, red morocco title label, gilt arms on the covers within a triple gilt fillet frame, gilt fillet on the edges, gilt roulette on the corners, gilt edges (Padeloup?).
A valuable first edition in French, translated, according to Renouard, by the Huguenot François Estienne. Brunet points out that this ‘edition [is] more sought after than the original Latin’ Vindiciae contra tyrannos published two years earlier. This work, one of the most important of the 16th century, was initially attributed to Languet, but is now attributed to Duplessis-Mornay (1549-1623), Lord of Plessis-Marly, a reformed theologian, writer and French statesman, friend of Henry IV, and one of the most prominent figures of the Protestant party at the end of the 16th century. In his work, he expounds political ideas of justice and freedom that had a considerable influence. Written during the Wars of Religion, it deals with the inviolability of conscience and thought, individual freedom, the rights of the people against kings, and speaks out against tyranny by admitting regicide a few years before the assassination of King Henry III. It carries within it the seeds of all modern constitutional thought.
« Mornay fut spectateur ou acteur aux grands évènements qui, de fond en comble, bouleversèrent les sociétés modernes. Il prêta l’oreille aux premières paroles des disciples de Luther et de Calvin, vit le développement de la Renaissance, assista aux guerres civiles du XVIe siècle, et entendit les cris sinistres de la Saint-Barthélemy. Il connut la Ligue, les Seize et les Barricades. Après avoir été l’un des plus nobles amis de Henri IV, le plus désintéressé de tous, Mornay entrevit, dans sa vieillesse le despotisme de Richelieu. […] Il y a deux siècles Duplessis savait en politique, en morale, en sciences humaines tout ce que nous savons aujourd’hui : en diplomatie il ne savait pas moins que les hommes d’état modernes » [Mornay was a spectator or participant in the major events that profoundly changed modern societies. He listened to the early teachings of Luther and Calvin’s disciples, witnessed the development of the Renaissance, experienced the civil wars of the 16th century, and heard the sinister cries of the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre. He knew the League, the Sixteen, and the Barricades. After being one of Henry IV’s most noble friends, the most selfless of all, Mornay glimpsed, in his old age, the despotism of Richelieu. […] Two centuries ago, Duplessis knew everything we know today about politics, morality and the humanities: in diplomacy, he knew no less than modern statesmen.] (J. Ambert, Duplessis-Mornay ou Etudes historiques et politiques sur la situation de la France de 1549 à 1623, Comptoir des Imprimeurs-Unis, 1848, pp. 1-2).
About the attribution, “Madame de Mornay states in her memoirs that her husband, while in Jamets in 1574, ‘wrote a book in Latin entitled De la puissance légitime d’un prince sur son peuple, which has since been printed and published, although few know who the author is’. It is strange that, despite such precise testimony, many critics have attributed the work to Hubert Languet. Albert Elkan revisited the subject and confirmed that Philippe de Mornay must indeed have written the work.” (E. Picot).
Finally, let us note that Printing and the mind of man emphasises the importance of this seminal collection in the history of ideas, which was subversive for its time and asserted the right of the people to resist all forms of tyranny:« It is an eloquent vindication of the people’s right to resist tyranny while affirming that resistance must be based on properly constituted authority. It is in fact the practical demonstration of Bodin’s theory, and some measure of its impact and continuing relevance may be estimated from a study of the places and dates at which it had been translated or reprinted. It’s one of the perennial documents of anti-tyranny ».
The coat of arms of the Duke of Aumont. Louis-Marie-Augustin d’Aumont de Rochebaron (1709 – 1782), Duke of Aumont, Peer of France, First Gentleman of the King’s Chamber, Lieutenant-General of the King’s Armies, Knight of His Orders, Governor of Boulogne and the Boulonnois region, Governor and Grand Bailiff of the town of Chauny, etc. He headed the administration of the king’s Menus-Plaisirs.During the reign of Louis XVI, he helped spread a taste for antiquity in the arts, protecting young artists such as architects François-Joseph Bélanger and Pierre-Adrien Pâris, whom he employed to decorate his mansion on Place Louis XV, and bronze sculptors Philippe Caffieri and Pierre Gouthière. Heir to a great fortune, he was best known for his important collection of works of art, assembled from 1776 onwards in his mansion on Place Louis XV (now the Hôtel de Crillon) and which was dispersed after his death at a public auction, at which Louis XVI purchased 51 lots.
“Sa bibliothèque avait été formée avec un soin et une patience dont la bibliophilie offre peu d’exemples. Elle contenait les meilleurs ouvrages français en tout genre, et des plus belles éditions. la plupart des reliures, soit en maroquin, soit en veau marbré, sortaient des mains de l’habile Padeloup. […] Un grand nombre d’ouvrages de cette provenance se trouvent aujourd’hui à la Bibliothèque Nationale de France.” [His library had been assembled with a care and patience rarely seen among bibliophiles. It contained the finest French works of all genres, in the most beautiful editions. Most of the bindings, either in morocco or marbled calfskin, were the work of the skilled Padeloup. […] A large number of works from this collection are now held at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.] (Guigard).
Bookplate manuscript on the title page, some old comments in the margins, trimmed short.
Debure, Catalogue des livres de la bibliothèque de feu M. le duc d’Aumont, 276 ; Brunet, I, 1308; Adams, L.151 ; Hauser, 2220 ; Renouard, 157, n°14 ; Picot, Catalogue Rothschild, IV, 3126 ; Printing and the mind of man, 94, pour l’édition latine. Arms: Guigard, II, 26.
A few scuffs and scratches, minor restoration to the caps, corners and joints. Small foxing on the first quire without affecting the text, very small and faint foxing in the corners of a few leaves.
A rare edition, with prestigious provenance.
5 000 €