LEHON, Henri-Sébastien Fortsasiana ou Recueil... Lot 27

LEHON, Henri-Sébastien Fortsasiana ou Recueil complet des pièces imprimées ou inédites concernant la prétendue vente de la bibliothèque imaginaire du fabuleux Jean-Népomucène-Auguste Pichauld, comte de Fortsas. Unique copy. Bruxelles "colligé par H. Lehon" 1842 In-8°: [10]-110 pp. mostly mss (russ. to cat. impr., qqs. slight ink discharges). Contemporary black chagrin boards, gilt fillet around boards, gilt title and "RARISSIME" on upper board, gilt filleted spine with large faux-nerfs (slight rubbing to headpieces and corners). In black embossed paper slipcase. Meticulously compiled from items sent by Renier Chalon to the author, Captain H.-S. Lehon (1809-1872), a career soldier and marine painter, brother-in-law of Louis Huard, draughtsman and future member of the Agathopèdes. In his foreword, Lehon writes: "By a very special favor, the author of this mystification [the "Catalogue du comte de Fortsas"] has kindly communicated to us all the documents, both printed and unpublished, relating to this scientific puf: we have literally copied the handwritten documents with the most scrupulous care, and we have succeeded in obtaining all those that were printed and published both in Belgium and in France [...]". Preceded by a typographed title, the collection contains a total of 42 pieces, including 13 printed pieces: [Chalon, R.] - Catalogue [...] de Fortsas [...]. Mons, E. Hoyois, [1840]. Original ed. with typogr. "peaude truie" at no. 199,- Notice of cancellation of sale, imp. by Hoyois (tax stamps),- 11 press extracts of the period, mostly mounted on paper ff. to format them,- Circular letter from R. Chalon to the members of the Soc. des bibliophiles belges seant à Mons denouncing the unauthorized reprint of the Fortsas catalog, Brux.., 27-10-1855 (folded f.),- subscription bull. for said reprint (folded f.). - 29 pieces in ms. copy, including : List of persons to whom the catalog was sent,- 26 letters dated 1840, including exchanges of administrative correspondence between Royal Library officials and the minister responsible,- unpublished article by A. Voisin,- 2 l.a.s. (1 folded, the other on flyleaf), exchange between R. Chalon and H.-S. Lehon concerning documents relating to Fortsas, n.d. and 22-12-1842. Ref. G. de le Court, Fortsas, 24. Prov. Edmond Picard (1836-1924), Belgian lawyer and writer, and his wife Adèle Olin (gilded bookplate on white etiquette with the numeral "PO" and motto "Hodié est olim/ Sans craindre le pis car ne vaux que par lutte").