FIRST FRENCH EDITION OF ALBERONI’S POLITICAL TESTAMENT
IN A LUXURY POMPADOUR BINDING

[POMPADOUR BINDING] DE MORSAN, JOSEPH. Testament politique du cardinal Alberoni. Lausanne, Bousquet, 1753. With the gilt coat of arms of M.me de Pompadour. Testament Politique du Cardinal Jules Alberoni, recueilli de divers mémoires, lettres & entretiens de son emminence par Monsignor A. M. traduit de l’italien par le C. de R.B.M. Lausanne: Marc Michel Bousquet, & Compagnie, 1753.

8vo (160x90 mm), contemporary calf with the coat of arms of Madame de Pompadour, triple gilt fillet at covers, gilt floral decoration at spine, red edges, silk bookmark, marbled fly-leaves, pp. xxx, 460.
Title-page printed in red and black.

First French edition of the apocryphal testament of Cardinal Alberoni in a very luxurious binding belonged to Mme Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis XV.

This work of a very well informed man with great political ideas who cares about making philosophical reflections and reasoning about the world and people around him. Well known soon after its publication, the Testament Politique inspired Voltaire to write an Examen on it.

*GIULIO ALBERONI (1664-1752) was born in Fiorenzuola d’Arda from a humble family; he worked as a gardener and then as bell-ringer and verger in the Cathedral of Piacenza, where he had a good relationship with the bishop, who allowed him to take the vows and become chamberlain of his household. Alberoni put the basis of his political power during the Spanish Secession war, thanks to his services to Luigi Giuseppe of Borbone- Vendôme, commander of the French troops in Italy, with whom he went to Paris, welcomed by Luis XIV. In 1711 he follows the Vendôme in Spain, helping him to bring back to the throne Philip V. When Vendôme died he was named consular agent of Parma at the Spanish court. Alberoni’s political position improved after the marriage of Philip V with Elisabetta Farnese, when he was named first minister, then duke, grandee of Spain, bishop of Malaga and cardinal in 1717. He proposed many progressive reforms with the aim of transforming Spain in an industrialized country. He also tried to obtain the French throne for Philip V, causing a European war, from which Spain ended up defeated. From then, Alberoni’s decline began: after some years of unhappy intercourses with the papacy, he retired in Piacenza where he was administrator of the hospital of San Lazzaro. He died there, in 1752.

*JEANNE-ANTOINETTE POISSON, well known as MADAME DE POMPADOUR (1721-1764) WAS THE MOST FAMOUS MISTRESS OF KING LOUIS XV OF FRANCE AND A POP ICON OF HER TIME. A group of courtiers, endorsed her as courtesan to Louis XV. Jeanne-Antoinette was invited to a royal masquerade ball in February 1745: by March she had become a regular visitor and king’s mistress, and the king installed her at Versailles. He also bought her Pompadour, the first of six residences. In July, Louis made her a marquise, had her legally separated from her husband, and on September 14 she was formally presented at court. Madame de Pompadour was intelligent, beautiful, and educated; she also learned to dance, engrave and to play the clavichord. She had a keen interest in literature. She had known Voltaire before her ascendancy, and the playwright apparently advised her in her courtly role. The popular belief —and contemporary opinion— thought she had much political influence, even if not direct.

Pompadour supported the Pacte de Famille, the suppression of the Jesuits, and the peace of Versailles that lost Canada. She also discreetly endorsed Diderot’s Encyclopédie project, planned some of the most important buildings in Paris like the Place de la Concorde and the Petit Trianon and employed the stylish marchands-merciers, trendsetting shopkeepers who were turning Chinese vases into ewers with gilt-bronze Rococo handles and were mounting writing tables with the new Sèvres porcelain plaques. Pompadour suffered two miscarriages in the 1750s, and she is said to have arranged lesser mistresses for the king’s pleasure to replace herself. Although they did not sleep together after 1750, Louis XV remained devoted to her until her death in 1764 at the age of 42.

THE LIBRARY OF MME POMPADOUR WAS SOLD IN 1765 IN A GREAT AUCTION IN PARIS: a New York bookseller has among his books the original auction catalogue, whose description I add here, hoping it could be exciting for all Pompadour collectors. According to Peignot, the collection of Pompadour «was remarkable for the part concerning the theatre, one of the most complete ever known» and for the quality of the bindings, «treasures for the collector».

PROVENANCE: The present book is the no. 3174 of the Catalogue of Madame de Pompadour’s Books. It belongs at a group of books about the History of Spain (19 books, from inventory number 3157 to 3175). Here is the complete description of the auction catalogue of Pompadour’s Library: Catalogue des Livres de la Bibliothéque de feue Madame la Marquise de Pompadour, Dame du Palais de la Reine. Paris: J.T. Herissant, 1765. 8vo, contemporary mottled sheep, spine nicely gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine, pp. xvi, 404, lxxii. 3796 LOTS, INCLUDING THEATRE, MUSIC AND PRINTS. A famous catalogue, “remarquable par la partie du théatre, qui est une des plus complètes que l’on connoisse. On y trouve aussi le recueil des Mercures, l’un des plus complets et des plus riches en extraordinaires qu’il y ait en Europe... Ce catalogue est terminé par une table d’auteurs et une table des anonymes”. Peignot, p. 119. Mme. de Pompadour employed the best binders of her time and, in consequence, her catalogue is of special value for the history of bookbinding in France and for establishing the pedigree of the volumes from her library, which have become coveted treasures for the collector. Blogie col. 10. Grolier Club, Printed Catalogues of French Books Auctions... 1643-1830, 180. Pollard & Ehrman, no. 289. Taylor, Book Catalogues, pp. 106, 135, & 256.

REFERENCES: Palau, 5068; Cioranescu, XVIII, 27057 and 43787. For Pompadour’s coat of arms, see OLIVIER, planche 2399 (no. 4).

Excellent copy.