Books with Royal Bookplates

Louis Alexandre de Bourbon

Louis Alexandre de Bourbon (1678-;1737) was a illegitimate son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Marquise de Montespan. From 1681, he was known as the Duke of Penthièvre, Count of Toulouse. At the age of five, he became Grand Admiral of France. In 1696, Louis Alexandre was granted the rank of Marshal of France, becoming commander of the royal armies the following year. He distinguished himself during the War of Spanish Succession. Since 1714, despite his illegitimate status, he was given the right to be called the Prince of Blood and to inherit the French throne (on the death of all legitimate heirs). During the reign of Louis XV, fell into disgrace and retired to his castle in Rambouillet.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Juin 1688. — Paris : au Palais, 1688.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Septembre 1688. — Paris : au Palais, 1688.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Octobre 1688. — Paris : au Palais, 1688.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Janvier 1689. — Paris : au Palais, 1689.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Octobre 1690. — Paris : au Palais, 1690.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Juillet 1693. — Paris : au Palais, 1693.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Aoust 1693. — Paris : au Palais, 1693.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Janvier 1695. — Paris : au Palais, 1695.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Aoust 1695. — Paris : au Palais, 1695.

Mercure Galant dedie’ a Monseigneur le Dauphin. Decembre 1701. — Paris : au Palais, 1701.

8^o (90 x 157 mm). A red marocain binding with gold embossing. Louis Auguste de Bourbon's super ex libris — the coat of arms is placed on the front and back covers, the fleurs-de-lis are on the spine (is established by: OHR, pl. 2607, no.4 — Juin 1688, Septembre 1688, Octobre 1688; no.5 — Janivier 1689, Octobre 1690; no.6 — Juillet 1693, Aoust 1693, Janivier 1695, Aoust 1695, Decembre 1701).

Shelf mark: 16.44.5-7.1

Out of the issues of the magazine Mercure Galant (Gallant Mercury) stored in the National Library of Russia, nine have Louis Auguste de Bourbon's bookplate (in three variants), and one more (for January 1708) carries the super-exlibris of his brother, Louis Auguste de Bourbon.

The Mercure Galant (Gallant Mercury) is one of the first regular French magazines. It was founded by the writer Jean Donneau de Visé in 1672 and was originally published every three months. On the one hand, the magazine published reports about the victory of French arms in Europe and the New World, on the other hand, it informed society about life in the court and on the news of art and theater. The Mercure Galant became incredibly popular and was issued monthly since 1677. The audience of the magazine increased, it covered a broader range of topics: they included criminal news and common gossip, tips for good health and travel notes, literary criticism and poems, obituaries and vampire stories. From 1679 to 1710, the magazine was dedicated to Louis the Grand Dauphin, as evidenced by the inscription on the title page ("Dedie` a monseigneur Le Dauphin") and the coat of arms of the heir to the French throne under it.