BENSERADE Isaac de L’Eslite des bouts-rimez de ce temps.

Lachèvre, II, 30-32 ; manque à Gay-Lemonnyer.

First edition.

According to Lachèvre the copy is from the second issue, with the title renewed under the date 1651. Here, as Lachèvre correctly indicates, the privilege bears the date 4 November 1649.

Despite the indication of Première partie this edition is complete as is. It consists of 98 pieces, of which Lachèvre attributes only four to specific authors: Benserade, Boisrobert, Tristan l’Hermite and Verderonne. According to the title, the others were written by Calprenède, Sarazin, the abbé de Laffémas, Monsieur de Monteüil, Gilelt, Desmasrests and Saint Julien.

Dedicated to Abbé Fouquet, it contains witty rhymes about love and women. 

Here are some of the titles contained in this collection: Sur le mariage de monsieur de Balagny avec la mademoiselle de Roquelaure; Faits au cabaret; Sur la bouche de Madame de Brégis; Sur un souvenir; Pour des beaux-yeux; A une belle dame; Sur un téton; Sur la blancheur d’une dame; D’un amant mal-traité, etc.

The Catalogue Collectif de France lists 3 copies of this edition, all 3 in France (Tours, Lyon and Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine).

Small occasional stains, otherwise a very fine copy perfectly bound in the 19th century by Koehler.