[Envoi] Honoré de Balzac, Histoire intellectuelle de Louis L - Lot 19

[Envoi] Honoré de Balzac, Histoire intellectuelle de Louis Lambert. Paris, Charles Gosselin, 1833. In-12, 264p. First separate and partly original edition, which went on sale on January 31, 1833. "This small luxury volume, sold for 5 francs at the time, has become extremely rare" (H. Dirkx, Répertoire des éditions signées de Balzac). Balzac explained, in his preface to Le Livre mystique in 1835, that he had spent as much care as money in getting rid of copies of this edition. Copy enriched with a letter: "à Monsieur Théodore Dablin en souvenir d'amitié. de Balzac". Dablin was a great friend of Balzac, whom he helped on many occasions. He was the dedicatee of Les Chouants in 1829, "au premier ami le premier livre". He was also one of Pillerault's models in César Birotteau and Le cousin Pons. A collector, he was also a donor to the Louvre. Beautiful, wide-margin work on fine paper. Period (or very slightly later) red percaline, yellow endpapers (typical of the 1830s-1840s), untrimmed, half morocco flap folder and slipcase (ca.1900). Upper spine partly split and a little weak. Provenance: Anne-Marie Meininger sale (Tajan, March 15, 2007, no. 37). A very fine work.