Du Plessis Armand. - Testament Politique - 1696

Du Plessis Armand. Political Testament of Armand du Plessis. Amsterdam: at Henri Desbordes, 1696. A rare seventeenth-century edition of the famous treatise on the philosophy of government and statecraft. The work outlines the view of Louis XIII’s prime minister, the Duke of Richelieu, on the absolute government of France, founded on raison d'État, the strengthening of royal power, and the subjugation of the nobility. Two parts in one volume, each with its own title page. Full leather binding of the period. Gold-tooled spine label. Spine with raised cords, entirely decorated with gold ornaments. Dimensions 15 x 9 cm, pages 12nn, 230, 190. Small abrasion on the lower part of the spine. Excellent condition.