TENCIN (Pierre Guérin de); TENCIN (Claudine-Alexandrine... Lot 137

TENCIN (Pierre Guérin de); TENCIN (Claudine-Alexandrine Guérin de). Correspondance du cardinal de Tencin,... et de Mme de Tencin, sa soeur, avec le duc de Richelieu, sur les intrigues de la cour de France depuis 1742 jusqu'en 1757, et sur-tout pendant la faveur des dames de Mailly, de Vintimille, de Lauraguais, de Châteauroux et de Pompadour. S.l., s.n., 1790. In-8, pp.[3]-8, pp. 1-385, contemporary half-brown basane with corners, smooth spine, garnet-red title page, gilt scrolls (corners and headpieces worn, worm tracery on upper cover, spine browned; some browning and soiling, not serious; without faux-titre). A rare, unfinished work (400 pages are announced on the title page; it does end with the end of Madame de Tencin's letters, but we don't know what was planned for the last 15 pages; the title announces letters up to 1757, but the last dated letters are from 1744). There are only 2 copies in the BnF, one of which appears to be printed on vellum and incomplete with the last leaf. This last leaf, paginated 385, contains a Table des chiffres et des noms déguisés. Interesting copy from a family provenance; old signature "de Tencin" on one endpaper, and modern stamp "E. de Tencin" on the flyleaf. A tomation has been masked on the spine.