Signé ; Alexandre Teulet - Marie Stuart / A. Teulet – Lettres de Marie Stuart – Envoi autographe à J. Janin [Jules Janin] – - 1859-1859

Marie Stuart – Alexandre Teulet

Mary Stuart Letters, published with summaries, translations, notes, and facsimimile by A. Teulet
Paris, Librairie de Firmin Didot Frères, Fils et Cie, printers of the Institut, 56 rue Jacob, 1859.
First edition of this important documentary publication devoted to the correspondence of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland.

Volume in 8° of XXIV and 448 pages, pagination in accordance with the copies listed in institutional collections. The work was issued as a supplement to the Recueil du prince Labanoff.

The volume notably brings together the Letters to the Earl of Bothwell, documents relating to the murder of Lord Darnley, various letters and writings of Mary Stuart as well as documents relating to her death and to her testamentary dispositions. The texts are accompanied by summaries, translations, notes, and facsimimile prepared by the historian and archivist Alexandre Teulet (1807–1866).

An especially interesting copy by provenance: the title page bears a manuscript inscription signed:
« À J. Janin,
his devoted,
A. Teulet »

This inscription seems to be in the hand of Alexandre Teulet and appears very likely addressed to Jules Janin, French writer, literary critic and journalist, contemporary of Teulet. The attribution of the inscription is proposed based on the inscription present in the work and has not undergone an independent palaeographic examination.

This potential provenance constitutes an additional bibliophilic interest for this copy.
Binding: elegant old half-binding, brown leather spine with raised bands, title « LETTRES DE MARIE STUART » gold-stamped on the spine, boards covered with marbled paper in brown, green and ochre, with corners and bands of dark green leather.

Binding solid and well-presented. Spine with patina and slight signs of use. Boards well preserved.
Interior condition: complete copy up to page 448, followed by the end of the table of contents. Paper shows foxing and on occasion significant specks, particularly visible on certain pages and on the title page, but the text is perfectly legible. Some traces and marks of use corresponding to the age of the work.

The whole remains well bound and offers a fine presentation.
Bibliography: the work is noted as early as 1860 in the Bibliothèque de l'École des chartes, volume 21, pp. 96 to 99, under the description: Lettres de Marie Stuart, publiées avec sommaires, traductions, notes et fac simile, par A. Teulet. Paris, Didot, 1859, in 8°, XXIV and 448 pages.

Author: Mary Stuart
Scientific editor: Alexandre Teulet
Title: Lettres de Marie Stuart
Location: Paris
Publisher: Firmin Didot Frères, Fils et Cie
Date: 1859
Pagination: XXIV + 448 pages
Language: French, with transcription/translation of historical documents
Binding: half leather with marbled boards
Special feature: manuscript inscription signed « A. Teulet » to « J. Janin », presumably Jules Janin

Condition: good general condition for age, binding solid, foxing significant in places, see photographs.