BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Fourteen MS. copies of the _Heptameron_ are known to exist. Twelveof these are at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, one is at the townlibrary of Orleans, and one in the Vatican library. We also have somerecord of four other copies which were in private libraries at the endof the last century.
The twelve MSS. at the Bibliotheque Nationale are the following:--
I. (No. 1511 in the catalogue). A folio volume bound in red morocco,bearing the Bethune arms. This MS. is on ruled paper, and only one leaf,the last, is missing.
II. (No. 1512). A small folio, calf gilt, 350 leaves, from Colbert'slibrary. The handwriting is that of the middle of the sixteeenthcentury, and is the same throughout; the last page bearing the signature"Doulcet." This supplied the text followed in the present translation.
III. (No. 1513). A small folio, half-bound in red morocco, stamped withKing Louis Philippe's monogram. It contains only twenty-eight of thetales.
IV. (No. 1514). A large quarto, calf, from the De Mesmes library.Contains only thirty-four of the tales.
V. (No. 1515). A small folio from Colbert's library, bound in calf,in Groslier's style. The text is complete, but there are numerousinterlinear and marginal corrections and additions, in the samehandwriting as MS. VII.
VI. (Nos. 1516 to 1519). Four quarto vols., red morocco, Bethune arms.The first prologue is deficient, as is also the last leaf of tale lxxi.
VII. (No. 1520). A folio vol., calf and red morocco, stamped withfleurs-de-lys and the monogram of Louis XVIII. This MS. on stout ruledpaper, in a beautiful italic handwriting of the end of the sixteenthcentury, is complete. Unfortunately Queen Margaret's phraseology hasbeen considerably modified, though, on the other hand, the copyist hasinserted a large number of different readings, as marginal notes, whichrender his work of great value. It is frequently quoted in the presenttranslation.
VIII. (No. 1523). A folio vol., calf, from the De La Marre library. Thefirst two leaves are deficient, and the text ends with the fifth tale ofDay IV.
IX. (No. 1522). A small folio, bound in parchment, from the De La Marrelibrary. Only the tales of the first four days are complete, and onfolio 259 begins a long poem called Les Prisons, the work probably ofWilliam Filandrier, whom Queen Margaret protected. On the first folio ofthe volume is the inscription, in sixteenth-century handwriting: _Pourma sour Marie Philander_. The poem _Les Prisons_ is quoted on pp.xxxviii.-ix. vol. i. of the present work. It concludes with an epitaphon Margaret, dated 1549.
X. (No. 1524). A folio vol. from Colbert's library, bound in red andyellow morocco, on which is painted, on a blue ground, a vine laden withgrapes twining round the trunk of a tree. On either side and in goldletters is the device, _Sin e doppo la morte_ (until and after death).Following the title-page, on which the work is called "The Decameron ofthe most high and most illustrious Princess, Madame Margaret of France,"is a curious preface signed "Adrian de Thou," and dated "Paris, August8, 1553." This Adrian de Thou, Lord of Hierville and canon of Notre Damede Paris, counsellor and clerk of the Paris Parliament, was the fourthson of Augustine de Thou and uncle to James Augustus de Thou, thehistorian. He died in October 1570. His MS. of the _Heptameron_, amost beautiful specimen of caligraphy, contains a long table of variousreadings and obscure passages; this was consulted in preparing the textfor the present translation. The titles to the tales have also beenborrowed from this MS.; they were composed by De Thou himself, andfigure in no other MS. copy.
XI. (No. 1525). A small folio, calf, from Colbert's library, veryincomplete and badly written, but containing the _Miroir de Jesu Cristcrucifie_, the last poem Queen Margaret composed (see _ante_, vol. i. p.lxxxvi.).
XII. (No. 2155). A small quarto, red morocco, from the library ofMazarin, whose escutcheon has been cut off. The text, which iscomplete and correct, excepting that a portion of the prologue has beenaccidentally transposed, is followed by an epitaph on the Queen. Thehandwriting throughout is that of the end of the sixteenth century.
The other MSS. of the _Heptameron_ are the following:--
XIII. (Orleans town library, No. 352). A folio vol. of 440 pp. It isdoubtful whether this MS. is of the sixteenth or seventeenth century.It bears the title _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c_. There are numerousdeficiencies in the text.
XIV. (Vatican library, No. 929; from the library of Queen Christina ofSweden). A folio vol., calf, 95 leaves, handwriting of the end of thesixteenth century. This only contains fifteen of the stories.
XV. (present possessor unknown). A folio vol., red morocco; text (endingwith tale lxix. ) in sixteenth-century handwriting, with illuminatedinitial letters to each tale. _Catalogue des livres de feue Mme. laComtesse de Verrue_, Paris, G. Martin, 1737.
XVI. (possessor unknown). MS. supposed to be the original, a largefolio, handwriting of the period, antique binding, containing theseventy-two tales. _Catalogue des livres, &c., du cabinet de M. Filheul,&c._, Paris, Chardin, 1779, pp. xxi. and 280.
XVII. (possessor unknown). A folio vol., blue morocco, gilt. No. 1493in the catalogue of the _Bibliotheque de Simon Bernard, chez Barrois_,Paris, 1734; and No. 213 in a _Catalogue de manuscrits interessants quiseront vendus... en la maison de M. Gueret, notaire_, Paris, Debure filsjeune, 1776.
XVIII. (possessor unknown). A folio vol., blue morocco, gilt, stampedwith the arms of France, from the Randon de Boisset library; theseventy-two tales complete, a very fine copy. _Catalogue des livres dela bibliotheqzie de l'Abbe Rive_, Marseilles, 1793. (This MS. should notbe confounded with No. xvii. See L. J. Hubaud's _Dissertation sur lesContes de la Reine de Navarre_, Marseilles, 1850.)
The following are the editions of Queen Margaret's tales issued from thepress from the sixteenth century to the present time. The list has beenprepared with great care, and we believe it to be as complete a one ascan be furnished; it includes several editions not mentioned in Brunet'sManual:--
I. _Histoires des Amans Fortunez dediees a tres illustre princesse, Mme.Marguerite de Bourbon, etc., par Pierre Boaistuau, dit Launoy_, Paris,1558, 40. The authorisation to print and publish was accorded to VincentSertenas, and the work was issued by three different booksellers; somecopies bearing the name of Gilles Robinot, others that of Jean Cavyller,and others that of Gilles Gilles.
This, the first edition of the Queen's work, contains only sixty-sevenof the tales, which are not divided into days or printed in their propersequence; the prologues, moreover, are deficient, and all thebold passages on religious and philosophical questions, &c, in theconversational matter following the stories, are suppressed.
II. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles de tris illustre et tres excellentePrincesse Marguerite de Valois, Royne de Navarre, &c., dedie a tresillustre et tres vertueuse Princesse Jeanne, Royne de Navarre, parClaude Gruget, parisien_, Paris, Vincent Certena, or Jean Caveillier,1559.
This contains all the Queen's tales excepting Nos. xi., xliv., andxlvi., which Gruget replaced by others, probably written by himself. Theother stories are placed in their proper order, but none of the namesand passages suppressed by Boaistuau are restored. The phraseology ofthe MSS., moreover, is still further modified and polished.
The text adopted by Boaistuau and Gruget was followed, with a fewadditional modifications, in all the editions issued during the lateryears of the sixteenth century. Most of these are badly printed andcontain numerous typographical errors:--
III. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c_. Reprint of Gruget's edition,sold by Vincent Sertenas, Gilles Robinot & Gilles Gille, and printed byBenoist Prevost, Paris, 1560.
IV. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c_., 1560, 16mo. (No bookseller's orprinter's name appears in this edition. )
V. _L'Heptameron, &c_. (Gruget). Guill. Rouille, Lyons, 1561, small12mo; Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1561, 16mo.
VI. The same. Norment & Bruneau, and Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1567, 16mo.
VII. The same. Louys Cloquemin, Lyons, 1572, 16mo (reprinted in 1578 and1581).
VIII. The same. Michel de Roigny, Paris, 1574, 16mo (round letters)
.
IX. The same. Gab. Buon, Paris, 1581, 16mo.
X. The same. Abel L'Angelier, Paris, 1581, 18mo.
XI. The same. Jean Osmont, Rouen, 1598, 578 pp., sin. 12mo (good type).
XII. The same. Romain Beauvais, Rouen, 1598, 589 pp. 12mo.
In the seventeenth century the _Heptameron_ was frequently reprinted,Gruget's text, with a few changes, being still followed until 1698, whenit occurred to some obscure literary man to put the tales into so-called_beau langage_. At the same time the title of _Heptameron_, devised byGruget, was discarded (see post, No. XVI.).
XIII. _L'Heptameron_, &c., printed by Ch. Chappellein, Paris, 1607,18mo.
XIV. The same. _Sur Pimprime a Paris_, J. Bessin (Holland), 1615, sm.l2mo (reprinted in 1698, 2. vols. 12mo).
XV. The same. David du Petit-Val, Rouen, 1625, 12mo.
XVI. _Contes et Nouvelles de Marguerite de Valois, Reine de Navarre, misen beau langage_. Gallet, Amsterdam, 1698, 2 vols, sm. 8vo. This editionis valued not for its _beau langage_, but for the copperplate engravingsillustrating it. These are coarsely executed, and are attributed toRoman de Hooge, but do not bear his name. A reprint of the editionappeared at Amsterdam in 1700.
XVII. The same. Gallet, Amsterdam, 1708, 2 vols. sm. 8vo. Virtually areprint, but with several of the Roman de Hooge plates deficient, andreplaced by others signed Harrewyn.
XVIII. The same. La Haye (Chartres), 1733, 2 vols. sm. 12mo.
XIX. The same. Londres, 1744, 2 vols. 12mo.
XX. Heptameron Francais, ou les Nouvelles de Marguerite, Reine deNavarre; chez la Nouvelle Societe Typographique, Berne, 1780-1, 3 vols.8vo. On some copies the title is simply, Nouvelles de Marguerite,etc., Berne, 1781; on others Beat Louis Walthard is designated as thepublisher.
For this edition were executed the copperplate engravings, designed byFreudenberg and Dunker, which illustrate the present translation. It wasat first intended to issue the work in parts, but after parts i. and ii.had been published (at 4 livres each) the project was abandoned. A fewcopies of these two parts are in existence; they bear the date 1778.Freudenberg began his designs in the previous year, and finished them in1780.
This edition is greatly prized for its illustrations; the text, however,largely modified by Jean Rodolphe de Sinner, is without value. The workwas reissued at Paris in 1784 (8 vols, in 8vo, some copies 18mo), atBerne in 1792, and again in Paris in 1807 (8 vols. 18mo).
The following new editions of the _Heptameron_ have appeared during thepresent century:--
XXI. _Contes et Nouvelles de Marguerite, &c_. Dauthereau, Paris, 1828, 5vols. 32mo. (Collection des romans francais et etrangers.)
XXII. _L'Heptameron, ou Histoire des Amants fortunes, &c, ancien textepublie par C. Gruget.., revu, corrige et publie avec des notes, &c.,par le bibliophile Jacob_. Gosselin (Bibliotheque d'Elite), Paris, 1841,12mo. In this edition the Bibliophile Jacob (M. P. Lacroix) butslightly modified Gruget's text, and his annotation was comparativelyinsignificant. His work was reproduced in a volume of the _PantheonLitteraire: Les vieux Conteurs francais_, Paris, 1841, 1. 8vo. (doublecols.).
XXIII. _Heptameron des Nouvelles de... Margtierile d'Angouleme...publiee sur les manuscrits par la Societe des Bibliophiles Francais_ (LeRoux de Lincy, editor), Paris, 1853-4, 3 vols. sm. 18mo.
In this edition the real text of the tales was printed for the firsttime, M. de Lincy having carefully examined the best MSS. for thispurpose. The present English translation is based upon his work. Copiesof the "Bibliophiles Francais" edition, which contains a portrait of theQueen, a facsimile of a miniature, and an engraving showing her arms anddevice, cannot be purchased, when in fair condition, for less than L6 inParis.
XXIV. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, etc.... avec des notes et unenotice par P. L. Jacob, Bibliophile_ (Paul Lacroix). Adolphe Delahays,_Bibliotheque Gauloise_, Paris, 1858, 18mo.
In this edition M. Lacroix, following M. de Lincy's example, went to theMSS. for his text, which he annotated with care and erudition. All hisnotes of any importance are reproduced in the present translation. Theedition of 1858 was reprinted in 1875.
XXV. _L'Heptameron, &c_. Gamier freres, Paris, n.d., 1 vol. 18mo.This was long the "popular" edition in France. The text, which isconsiderably modernised, is of no value.
XXVI. _Les sept Journees de la Reine de Navarre, suivies de lahuitieme_. Paris, Librairie des Bibliophiles (Jouaust), 1872, 4 vols.l6mo.
In this edition Gruget's text is followed; the notes, &c, are by M.Lacroix. The work is prized for its illustrations (a portrait and eightetchings) by Leopold Flameng. It was originally issued in eight parts.The value of the copies varies according to the paper on which they areprinted. Those on India or Whatman paper, with a duplicate set of theengravings, command high prices. The text has been reissued by the samefirm in two cr. 8vo vols, under the title of _L'Heptameron des contes,etc_.
XXVII. _L'Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c_, preface, notes, &c, by BenjaminPifteau, in the _Nouvelle Collection Jannet_, Alphonse Lemerre, Paris,1875, 2 vols. l6mo.
This, undoubtedly the best of all the cheap editions, has been reprintedby Marpon & Flammarion, Paris, n.d. The text is from the MSS.; thenotes are mainly abbreviated from those of MM. de Lincy and Lacroix. M.Pifteau supplies an introduction and glossary.
XXVIII. _L'Heptameron, &c., publie avec Introduction, Notes et Glossairepar Felix Frank_. Liseux, Paris, 1879, 3 vols. 12mo.
This, from the literary point of view, is one of the most important ofmodern editions. The text is not taken from the same MS. as was followedby M. de Lincy. The tales are preceded by a lengthy introduction, inwhich the editor discusses Queen Margaret's work and seeks to identifythe supposed narrators of her tales. He has frequently been quoted inthe notes to this translation.
XXIX. _L'Heptameron, &c, avec notes, variantes et glossaire par F.Dillaye et notice par A. France_. A. Lemerre, Paris, 1879.
A handy edition based on the MSS. The notes embody the substance ofM. de Lincy's and M. Lacroix's researches with additional particularssupplied by M. Dillaye, who has been quoted in the course of the presentwork.
XXX. _L'Heptameron, &c., publie stir les manuscrits avec les notes deMM. Le Poux de Lincy et Anatole de Montaiglon_. Auguste Eudes, Paris,1880, 8 vols. 1. 8vo and 4 vols. cr. 8vo.
The edition in 8 vols, (two copies of which on parchment were issued atL44 each; and twelve on Japanese paper at L20 each) is illustrated withthe Freudenberg plates; that in 4 vols, contains the text only. The textis the same as that of No. XXIII.; but with additional notes, prefatorymatter, &c. The copyright attaching to this edition was acquired forthe present work, in which all M. de Montaiglon's important notes arereproduced.
Among the English translations of the _Heptameron_ are the following:--
_Heptameron_, or the _History of the Fortunate Lovers_, translated byR. Codrington, London, 1654, 12mo. (Dedicated to Thomas Stanley, thetranslator of Anacreon and editor of AEschylus, and based on Boaistuau'sdefective text.)
The _Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre, nota first translatedfrom the original text, by Walter K. Kelly_. Bohn (extra volume),London, 1855. This has been several times reprinted. The translationis a very free rendering of M. de Lincy's text; many passages aredeficient.
The _Heptameron, &c., translated from the original French by ArthurMachen_. Privately printed (G. Redway), London, 1886, 1 vol. 1. 8vo. Ascholarly translation, not annotated; illustrated with the etchings byFlameng (see _ante_, edition xxv.).
_The Fortunate Lovers, twenty-seven novels of the Queen of Navarre,translated by Arthur Machen, edited with notes and introduction by A.Mary F. Robinson_. G. Redway, London, 1887, 8vo. Etched frontispieceby G. P. Jacomb Hood. This only contains such of the tales as thelady-editor considered unobjectionable. In her introduction she sketchesthe life of Queen Margaret and discusses the identity of the supposednarrators of the tales. Some of the notes are original, but the majorityare based upon the researches of French commentators.--Ed.
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