Discours dv Bon et Loial Subiet de la Grande Bretagne,

£1,500 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books · No longer available

only 5 copies traced worldwide A curious and rare anonymous English Civil War pamphlet published in Paris by Michel Mettaier (sometimes spelt Mettayer) in 1648 following the capture of Charles I by parliamentarian forces the previous year. The first part of the work consists of three large folding plates depicting the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Convocation of Canterbury, with explicatory notes explaining the history and function of these bodies in the English parliamentary system. The latter part of the book contains an original address to Henrietta Maria, Queen of England illustrated with facing engraved portraits of the Queen and the Prince of Wales, and signed simply 'le bon et loyal svbiet'. It introduces a short statement in both English and French, allegedly translated from an original Latin version, which purports to be the words of Liudolf (c.930-957), an Ottonian Duke of Swabia and grandson of the German king, Henry the Fowler (919-936). The text claims that Liudolf did not die in 957, but rather feigned his death to take exile in Mantua in the hope that his descendants would one day regain his power and prestige. The tale was likely intended by the royalist author to offer hope to the exiled queen and her son, who were soon to become widow and orphan to the executed king. Rare. We can trace only 5 copies in institutional collections worldwide: 3 in the UK (British Library, Durham University, and the University of Leeds), and 2 in France (BnF and Bi

• Binding: Hardcover

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