1748 Le Nouveau Secretaire De La Cour Paris French Antique Etiquette Book
Title: Le Nouveau Secretaire de la Cour, Première Partie
Author: Anonymous (French Court Manual)
Publisher: Chez Théodore Le Gras, Grand'Salle, à l'L Couronnée, Paris
Printer: De l'Imprimerie de Gissey
Date: 1748 (M.DCC.XLVIII)
Language: French
Binding: Full contemporary mottled calf, raised bands on the spine, 17.5 cm tall.
This 1748 Paris printing of Le Nouveau Secretaire de la Cour is an important 18th-century manual on epistolary etiquette, ceremonial correspondence, and the formal language of the French royal court. Subtitled "Première Partie, contenant une instruction pour se former dans le stile épistolaire", it provides a comprehensive guide to the correct forms and titles used in addressing nobility, clergy, and royal officials, along with models of polite correspondence between persons of rank. The text reflects the rigid hierarchies and refined communication standards of the Ancien Régime, showing how civility and diplomacy were expressed through the written word.
The volume includes detailed examples of ceremonial forms, dedications, petitions, and diplomatic letters, explaining both the stylistic and moral expectations of good breeding in 18th-century France. Its publication under royal privilege (avec approbation et privilège du Roi) and registration with the Chambre Royale des Libraires underscores its official endorsement and value as a court-approved reference. This particular issue, described as a "Nouvelle édition augmentée considérablement," indicates substantial expansion from earlier versions, likely incorporating revised protocols following mid-century changes at Versailles.
Well preserved for its age in a full calf binding with visible age patina, this volume stands as both a linguistic artifact and a sociocultural document of pre-Revolutionary France. It would appeal to collectors of early French etiquette books, historians of royal courts and diplomacy, and those interested in the evolution of written manners and communication during the Enlightenment era.
