FRANÇOIS (Dom Jean), TABOUILLOT (Dom Nicolas) - Histoire de - Lot 312

FRANÇOIS (Dom Jean), TABOUILLOT (Dom Nicolas) - Histoire de Metz par des religieux bénédictins de la congrégation de S. Vanne, membres de l'Académie Royale & des Arts de la même ville. Metz, Nancy, Chez Pierre Marchal, puis Collignon, puis Haener, 1769; in-4, XV + 2,658 + 28 plates, some of which are folding + map of the region where the Mediomatrices live + 703 + 368 + LXI pages of table of contents + 352 of proofs of the history of Metz, 777 pp. period cartonnage, 5-nerve ornate spine, smooth spine. All 4 volumes. An essential work on the city of Metz, printed in Nancy by Lamort and then by Haener (volume 1 gives Lamort as the printer, the next two volumes give Collignon in Metz, and at the end our volume 4 gives Haener in Nancy). Complete with plates, but lacking volumes 5 and 6, so rare that copies coming onto the market in 4 or 5 volumes sell perfectly well and at good prices. Our copy has the advantage of being complete with its plates as well as the historical part, and of being in good condition and bound in period style. Volumes 5 and 6 are always the most difficult to find. Numerous booksellers' catalogs before the '50s trace their passage through their hands, but almost always in three, four, at best five volumes, and almost never in 6 volumes as should be the case. This Histoire de Metz was published volume after volume, starting in 1769. It's a monumental work that had many difficulties in getting published, the main one being financing, hence the number of different publishers. Expert: Mr. Philippe HENRY