D'Artagnan - Lot 607

D'Artagnan [SANDRAS DE COURTILZ (Gatien)] - [BATZ (Charles de)] Mémoires de Mr d'Artagnan, capitaine-lieutenant de la première compagnie des mousquetaires du roi, contenant quantité de choses particulières et secrettes qui se sont passées sous le règne de Louis Le Grand.Cologne, Marteau, 1700. 3 volumes in-8: 3f, 440pp / 1f, 497pp / 1f (photocopied title page), 492pp. Loose title pages, small scattered spotting, small paper tears in foot margins of a few leaves. Contemporary fawn calf, spine ribbed, red title-pieces (one missing) and end-papers, headpieces faded or torn, small leather tears, jaws split at entrances, raised quires, red edges. Worn covers. Rare first edition of this famous account written by Sandras de Courtilz, himself a musketeer of the King. Charles de Batz joined the Cadets of the Gardes-Françaises around 1630 under the name of his mother Françoise de Montesquiou d'Artagnan. Loyal to Mazarin and a protégé of Louis XIV, he led a family life, a military career and an adventurous life in close touch with the great events of his time. He was responsible for arresting Fouquet, served as Governor of Lille, and left with Louis XIV to wage war in Flanders. He died there in 1673 during the siege of Maastricht, killed by a musket ball fired into his throat while fighting. His place of burial is unknown. Printed bookplate with cruciferous globe of Count Maurice de Courten (1692-1766), who entered the regiment of his name as a cadet in 1706, and was appointed captain of a half-company in the Swiss Guards. Knight of Saint Louis, chamberlain to Emperor Charles VII, he was promoted to maréchal de camp in 1743 (OHR 2108).