CERVANTES Miguel de Les Nouvelles de Miguel Cervantes. Traduction nouvelle [par Charles Cotolendi].

Ford-Lansing, p. 88; Rius, I, 893; Losada Goya, 190; Cioranescu, 22074; Lever, p. 322.

First edition of this translation by the Provençal writer Charles Cotolendi, who modified and modernised the translation by Rosset and Audiguier published in 1614. The collection contains: La Jeune Égyptienne – Léocadie, ou la force du sang – Le Docteur Vidriera – L’Amant libéral – Rinconet et Cortadille – Isabelle, ou l’Espagnole angloise.

Like Quijote, the Novelas exemplares were extraordinarily successful. They helped to launch the fashion for the “Spanish story” in Europe, entering every home where people read, and even seducing scholars and philosophers (Spinoza, whose library was not well-stocked, owned a copy of the Seville edition, 1627). Breaking with the conventional rules of the classic Italian tale, Cervantes overturned and renewed the genre by using more flexible structures and by depicting the humanity he had had the opportunity to observe in the squares, streets and alleyways of Spain. These immense narrative masterpieces are structured around a lively, seamless narrative, lively, tightly-woven dialogue, a perfectly honed social imagination, a brilliant, precise style and a lucid realism that does not ignore psychology.

In France, translations by François de Rosset and Vital d’Audiguier from 1614 onwards gave the Novelas an astonishing career, but it was not until 1678 that Claude Barbin published this new translation.

A precious copy in morocco bound with the arms of Charles-Maurice Le Tellier (1642-1710), archbishop and duke of Reims, second son of the chancellor of France.

Other provenances: “Etnne Suze d’Esmazieres” (signature in ink on two papers pasted on the inside back covers) – Abbaye Sainte Geneviève, 1743 (note on the titles).