Sainte-Palaye - Ancienne Chevalerie - 1759

Secrets and Glories of Ancient Chivalry: Between Honor Rituals and War Strategies
A fundamental work for understanding the chivalric institution in its dual political and military aspects, composed by Jean-Baptiste de La Curne de Sainte-Palaye and published in Paris between 1759 and 1781. The author, a philologist and historian, investigates medieval chivalry as a pillar of social order and a tool of power, offering a framework in which rituals, weapons, and codes of conduct intertwine with governance and warfare strategies. An erudite and passionate testimony, enriched by an encyclopedic vision and meticulous historical research characteristic of the Enlightenment era.
Market value
Complete specimens of the first edition, including the original two volumes from 1759 and the third from 1781, in contemporary binding and in good condition, are valued on the antiquarian market between 450 and 900 euros, with higher prices for copies in excellent condition or with prestigious provenance. The presence of the original binding in bazzana with gilded decorations and red edges, even if with defects, maintains a good collectible value.

Physical description and condition
Three volumes, contemporaneous binding in full marbled bazzana, smooth spine decorated with gilded friezes, gold title, red edges. Pp. (4), 12, 392, (4). (4), 4nn, 318, 2nn, (4). (4), 14, 2nn, 456, (4).

Full title and author
Memories on the Old Chivalry.
Paris, Nicolas-Bonaventure Duchesne, 1759-1781.
Mr. de La Curne de Sainte-Palaye

Context and Significance
This work, the result of decades of studies on medieval sources, analyzes chivalry as a key institution of feudal society. Sainte-Palaye explores the origin and evolution of the chivalric order, investiture ceremonies, the political role of knights, the art of war, and power relations with the monarchy. The extensive documentation and systematic approach make it a foundational text of chivalric historiography. The third volume, published in 1781, expands the work with unpublished materials and in-depth analyses, constituting the definitive completion of the treatise. On a symbolic level, the book embodies the myth and reality of chivalry: an institution at the crossroads between military discipline, a code of honor, and a sacred vision of power.

Author Biography
Jean-Baptiste de La Curne de Sainte-Palaye (1697-1781) was one of the most important French philologists and historians of the 18th century. A member of the Académie française and the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, he dedicated much of his life to studying medieval sources, especially in Old French. His erudition, combined with a deep interest in the political and social institutions of the Ancien Régime, made him a reference figure for the study of chivalric history.

Printing history and circulation
The first edition of the Memoirs was published in two volumes in 1759 by the publisher Nicolas-Bonaventure Duchesne. In 1781, Duchesne's widow issued a third volume, edited by J.-P. de Bougainville and H.-P. Ameilhon, which completed and expanded the original discussion. The work was widely circulated among scholars and bibliophiles, fueling the eighteenth-century revival of interest in the Middle Ages and its institutions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Brunet, IV, 448.
Quérard, La France littéraire, VIII, 321.
Catalogue BnF, notice FRBNF30036763.
H. Omont, La Curne de Sainte-Palaye and His Work on the Middle Ages, Paris, 1887.
RookeBooks, Memoirs on Ancient Chivalry, Paris, 1759-1781 (antiquarian catalog).
French National Library, Gallica (digitized copies).