An uncommon, 1573 edition of Marot’s work in contemporary binding, with waste manuscript fragments from a French glossed Bible used as quire guards; the text of the fragment at the lower joint indicates that the fragment is from Genesis 4:23, ‘…quonisam occidi virum in vulnus meum, et adolescentum in livorem meum.’
This edition is based on that first published by de Tournes in 1553, with some textual changes and the inclusion of the medallion with Marot’s portrait on the title page, found for the first time in the 1558 edition. According to Cartier, the portrait is very similar to one owned by Marot’s collaborator, Théodore de Béze. It has been attributed to Bernard Salomon, who was responsible for the woodcuts that appear in Ovid’s Metamorphosis in the second part.
A prolific and influential Renaissance poet, Marot employed many different forms, from epigrams to allegorical poetry and classical translation. The first part of this volume contains his poetic works; the second is his translation of classical works. Court poet to Margaret of Navarre and Francois I, his influence extended to Elizabethan England, notably evident in the work of Edmund Spenser. Early Tournes editions of Marot’s work are scarce.
Loss, possibly of repairs, at outer edge of pp.105, 107, 107 with repairs to lower and outer margins touching text in one place, minor worming (repaired) at head of some leaves in first part, minor waterstains.
Cartier, 558. BMSTC (French), 303. Brunet III, 1457. Not in Adams. [OCLC: UK: Manchester, Oxford, BL. North America: Harvard only].
