PRESENTATION COPY TO THE PRINTER'S SPOUSE
[Strasbourg, Confrérie du Très-Saint Sacrement]: Heures nouvelles, à l'usage de la Confrérie du Très-Saint Sacrement, érigée en 1707. Dans l'église paroissiale de Saint Louis, sous l'Autorité de feue S.A.E. Monseigneur le Cardinal de Rohan, Evêque & Prince de Strasbourg. Imprimées aux Dépens de la Confrérie. A Strasbourg, chez Jean-François Le Roux, Imprimeur du Roy & de l'Evêché. 1759.
Beautifully bound copy of this book printed for members of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament of Strasbourg, it carries a handwritten dedication to the printer's spouse, Marie Louise Le Roux, née Perdrix-Servo (1734-1797). The second wife of Jean-François Le Roux (c.1701-1790), she married him in 1766, after the death of his first wife. The use of her maiden name in the inscription may differentiate her from her predecessor; this may also have been a wedding gift to her. Whatever indeed the reason behind it, this attractive presentation copy suggests interests and associations shared between the printer's family and their customers.
The publication effectively describes a lay life in the church, for members of this Strasbourg confraternity. Printed in French, or Latin with French translations, it includes a calendar of movable feasts, explanations of the Catholic faith, statutes and rules of the confraternity, prayers, offices, hymns, and vespers - including, amongst other things, for holy virgins (371-373), holy women (374-377), and the dead (377-389).
Description
One volume, 16.8 cms. x 10.9 cms. in binding, octavo, pp. [14] 272, 393 [7]. Signed [ ]7 A-R8, A-Bb8. Woodcut and typographical decoration, factotum initials. Light browning, slight foxing, title-page slightly soiled, with a nick to outer margin, tear to bottom margin, (second) sig. D1 (= (second) pp. 49-50) - entering two lines of text, but with no loss, and some crayon marks to p. 393, really a very good copy, bound in dark green goatskin, elaborate lacework-like patterned tooling to covers, spine with five raised bands, one panel with label of red goatskin gilt, the others with a gilt stamp of a flower on a stem flanked by leaf-like gilt stamps, gilt sides and dentelles, two silk ribbons, pastedowns and endpapers of a colourful paste paper, all edges gilt (binding slightly rubbed and scuffed, corners a tad worn and retouched, but also really very good). Provenance: neat presentation inscription to title-page, "à Mad. Le Roux née Perdrix-Servo".
Bibliography
OCLC shows no copies outside mainland Europe.
See entry 'Jean François Leroux, imprimeur et libraire [...]' on database 'Maisons de Strasbourg'. https://maisons-de-strasbourg.fr.nf/histoire/index/notices-proprietaires/jean-francois-leroux-1730/ (last accessed 15 December 2024).