1710 4vol L'Espion dans les Cours des Princes Chretiens French Antiquarian Books

1710 4vol L'Espion dans les Cours des Princes Chretiens French Antiquarian BooksL'Espion dans les Cours des Princes Chretiens, ou Lettres Et Memoires - 4 VolumesPublished by Chez Erasme Kinkius: Cologne 1710 - 1715Includes Volumes 1(1710), 2(1715), 3(1710) & 6(1710) As Per Photos (4 vol of a 6vol set)English Translation: "The Spy in the Courts of Christian Princes Letters and Memoirs."Heavy wear and fading with some damage to covers and spines as shown. Binding is very good with no loose pages - just a small cluster or 2 loosening in volume 1. Contemporary Ex Libris inscription in ink. Vast majority of pages clean with general age toning present across the 4 volumes. Decent copies of desirable early volumes. Please study photos to understand condition. Happy to provide more photos on request.Size 17cm x 10.5cm x 2.5 - 3cm (x 4 volumes)

1710 4vol L'Espion dans les Cours des Princes Chretiens French Antiquarian Books

L'Espion dans les Cours des Princes Chretiens, ou Lettres Et Memoires - 4 Volumes

Published by Chez Erasme Kinkius: Cologne 1710 - 1715

Includes Volumes 1(1710), 2(1715), 3(1710) & 6(1710) As Per Photos (4 vol of a 6vol set)

English Translation: "The Spy in the Courts of Christian Princes Letters and Memoirs."

L'Espion dans les Cours des Princes Chrétiens, ou Lettres et Mémoires (4 vols., Cologne: Chez Erasme Kinkius, 1710-1715) is a political and diplomatic satire written in the style of a series of fictional letters and reports from a supposed "spy" traveling among the courts of Europe. The work belongs to the popular "secret memoirs" and "espion" literary genre of the early 18th century, which blended observation, commentary, and invention. Through the device of the foreign observer, the author (often attributed to the Marquis de Saint-Réal or connected writers) offers sharp critiques of European rulers, courtiers, and the shifting balance of power in the age following the War of the Spanish Succession.

Across its four volumes, the book presents a panorama of European politics, court intrigues, and diplomatic maneuverings, while also providing commentary on religion, morality, and the conduct of princes. Written with wit and a satirical edge, it entertained contemporary readers while also serving as a veiled critique of absolutism and the corruption of court life. In addition to its political value, it reflects the appetite of early Enlightenment audiences for cosmopolitan perspectives, travel narratives, and exposés of hidden truths behind royal façades. Today it is of interest to historians of literature, diplomacy, and early modern European thought.

Heavy wear and fading with some damage to covers and spines as shown. Binding is very good with no loose pages - just a small cluster or 2 loosening in volume 1. Contemporary Ex Libris inscription in ink. Vast majority of pages clean with general age toning present across the 4 volumes. Decent copies of desirable early volumes. Please study photos to understand condition. Happy to provide more photos on request.