Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly. [Texte de Paul Verlaine. Dessin de Coll-Toc]

Paris: Librairie Vanier, 1886   ¶ FIRST EDITION of Verlaine's biographical sketch of Barbey d'Aurevilly, novelist and critic, the author of Les diaboliques (1874) and other light classics. Verlaine's essay is enlivened here by a wonderful full-page caricature of Barbey striking an imperious pose as he jabs his palm with his own pen, perhaps a hint of his extreme Catholicism. His foppish boots sprout needlelike spurs; and the names of his books spill out from a tipped bottle of 'encre du lion'. (The latter recalls the use of the word 'lion' in French as near-synonym for the word 'dandy', eg in Baudelaire "Le peintre de la vie moderne" ix: "Que ces hommes se fassent nommer raffinés, incroyables, beaux, lions ou dandies, tous sont issus d'une même origine". For this suggestion we are indebted to Mr David Cocksey of the University of Sheffield.)  (Series: Les hommes d'aujourd'hui, no. 282.)   ¶ It was Barbey, incidentally, who first pointed out that Byron's "Don Juan" was "essentially dandyesque in tone", and suggested that one of its muses might have been Beau Brummell: This led Tim Burnett, in turn, to conclude that Byron's muse was in fact Scrope Davies, whose copy of Don Juan was recently discovered by this firm.   ¶ SCARCE: "On aurait grand peine à se procurer, de nos jours, le numéro 282 de cette série". (Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte 1999.)   ||| Collation: Bifolium (290 x 201 mm): Two leaves, paginated [1-4] (ie, not paginated).  Illustration: Wood-engraved caricature 204 x 158 mm after "Coll-Toc" (ie, Collignon and Tocqueville) by Ch. Decaux, signed in the block lower left, printed in black and HAND-COLORED au pochoir, AS ISSUED.  Binding: (Folded as issued, never bound.)  Condition: Very slightly browned, edges trifle worn, withal a very good copy of a scarce and fragile pamphlet.  References: Vicaire vii 1002; Carteret ii 425; Montel 127; Van Bever 32, 116; Verlaine/Borel (1992-93) ii 1344-46, 1503; Fischer/Galantaris 63n. See also Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly jugé par Paul Verlaine, ed. Joël Dupont 1999.   ||| For further details please contact Jay Dillon  Rare Books + Manuscripts, as below. .