[GAULTIER, Jacques]

£6,500 · Offered by Sokol Books

A beautiful copy of this extraordinary, most rare and curious piece of popular literature, published during the wars of the Ligue in France, and with Spain. The title Rodomantade, (and subsequently the adjective in French), derives from the Italian Rodomantada, itself derived from the name of Rodomont the heroic and most boastful knight in the medieval Orlando epics, widely known from Ariosto s Orlando Furioso . The name became associated, comically, with the wide discrepancy between the characters excessive and exaggerated boasting and the reality of his actions. The work was probably first published in this form in 1607, though without the Figures representants les Mœurs des Espagnols and is attributed to the Jesuit Jacques Gaultier. Various editions quickly appeared in the early C17th century. It consists of 52 chapters, 47 in Spanish with their French translation opposite, the rest just in French, each of which contains the most extravagant and hilariously exaggerated boast, mostly professing extraordinary martial ability. One such boast states that in battle with the Grand Turc he struck Abenhamet such a blow that his head rolled all the way to Constantinople, whose people remained cowed in fear for over five years at the sight of such a feat. Other boasts include extraordinary prowess with women. One boast states that whilst playing football (jouant au ballon) he struck the ball with such force that it rose into the third heaven where the gods were left speechless befo

• Binding: Hardcover

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