La treselega[n]te delicieuse melliflue et tresplaisante hystoire du tresnoble victorieux excellentissime Roy Perceforest/ Roy de la grant Bretaigne/ fondateur du Franc palais/ et du Temple du Souuerain dieu [...] [II-VI: ... volume des anciennes croniques da[n]gleterre].

Folio: 6 parts in 3 vol., [4]-clxiiii (= 158), [3]-clii (= 152), [2]-Clix (= 159), [2]-Clix (= 149), [2]-Cxiii (= 113), [3]-Cxiiii (= 124) ff. (lacking 3 blanks; toned, some minor staining, sm. hole in title I, tiny wormholes in blank bottom margin of III-IV, burning hole in f. 41 of IV, and in f. 54 of V, single wormhole in final quires of VI).

19th-c. gold-tooled red morocco by C. Hering of London (ticket), covers with blind and gilt ornamental framed borders with large gilt fan-shaped corner pieces, gilt spine on 5 raised double bands, richly gilt inside flowery ornamental border with blind-stamped ochre paper doublure, a.e.g. (edges and joints sl. rubbed). Very good ruled copy.

Second edition (1st 1528). “The anonymous prose romance of Perceforest with lyrical interludes of poetry, in 6 books, appears to have been composed in French in the Low Countries between 1330 and 1344. It forms a late addition to the cycle of narratives with loose connections both to the Arthurian cycle and to the feats of Alexander the Great. Written in more or less 531 chapters, Perceforest pretends to give us a Genesis of the Arthurian World. The 6 books describe a fictional origin of Great Britain. Alexander, having conquered Britain, departs for Babylon, leaving Perceforest in charge. Perceforest, so named because he dared to "pierce" the evil forest, as king of Britain introduces the Christian faith and establishes a Franc Palais of free equals - the best knights - with clear parallels to the Round Table. An elaborate frame story tells how the "Greek" manuscript was discovered by count William of Hainault in a cabinet at "Burtimer" Abbey; in the same cabinet was deposited a crown, which the count sent to king Edward.” (Wikipedia). Titles within elaborate woodcut border, all with Gourmont’s name and monogram "E G". Full-page woodcut facing f. 1 (V). General title in red and black. Printed in gothic type, in 2 cols. Ref. Bechtel (Gothiques) P-93. - Fairfax Murray 441. - Essling 284. - Pettegree FB 42804 (I), 42806 (III), 42812 (III), 42808 (V). - STC French (BL) 344. - Not in Adams, Moreau, Mortimer (Harvard French). Prov. A few old marg. annotations (cropped). - Griselda Fremantle (1884-1918), British collector (leather label). - [Georges Petit].