[CLANDESTINE HANDWRITTEN PRESS]

Recueil de Nouvelles à la main.

[1742 and after]

In-8, navy blue half-chagrin, ornate spine; binding rubbed, angular wetness on first 25 leaves causing three small losses of text, sometimes restored (19th century binding).

A fascinating collection of around a hundred “Nouvelles à la main”, a pioneering form of transgressive journalism featuring short, anonymous handwritten articles that would have been censored if printed.
Here, he writes about figures from the court of Louis XV: the disgrace of Madame de Mailly, Mademoiselle de La Tournelle, discontent with Monsieur Maillebois, Richelieu and Monsieur de Maurepas.
Several notes also concern Voltaire: “M. de Voltaire has shown several people a very obliging letter from M. le Cardinal de Fleury” (21 9bre 1742) - “Les partisans et amis de M. de Voltaire parlent de luy déjà comme d'un ministre.” (22 9bre 1742), “M. de Nivernois has arrived and is working with Voltaire on the speech he is to deliver at the Académie on the day of his reception” (19 Xbre 1742).

This collection is composite in the sense that it is not a hundred or so short stories written by the same “editor”. At least three different handwritings can be distinguished, and while a good number are precisely dated from September 6 to December 30, 1742, others appear a little later.

Interesting testimony to this unofficial journalism, whose subjects deserve further study.
Comparing the handwriting with that of other collections could provide clues as to its provenance and editors.

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