MARIE DE MEDICI TOURS AVIGNON IN AN ELEPHANT-DRAWN CHARIOT. Folio [26.7 x 19.4 cm] (30), 244 pp, including engr. title-page, two engr. portraits, and 12 full-page plates attributed to Matthias Greuter. Bound in late-19th century full crushed claret morocco signed ‘Allo’ (fl. 1875-1890) with gilt titles on spine; double gilt filets and dentelles; and all edges gilt. Engraved bookplate of the Rochemoyre family on pastedown. An exceptionally large and fresh copy; only slightly browned throughout, and otherwise in excellent condition (rarely found as such). Rare sole edition of this sumptuous record of the festivities and ephemeral architecture erected for the entry of Marie de Medici into Avignon on November 19, 1600. As the text makes clear, the newly-wedded royal couple were intended to process through seven triumphal arches, each representing a different labor of Hercules related allegorically to the exploits of Henry IV himself. However, when push came to shove, Henry found himself called to battle in Northern France, and the procession instead featured the Queen alone – as noted on the title-page. While the local Jesuit College spearheaded the festivities, the ephemeral arches were designed and constructed by the local painter Pierre Duplan (ca. 1560-1622) and engraved by the Alsatian artist Matthias Greuter (1564-1638), who was strongly influenced by the architectural designs of Serlio. “In keeping with the popular myths of imperial destiny perpetuated at the turn of the century by numerous theologians and astrologers, Henry IV was portrayed at the festivities in Avignon as the heroic Gallic Hercules, protector of the Faith and leader of a new crusade to eradicate the infidels. The numerous triumphal arches erected for the occasion and illustrated by the Alsatian artist Matthias Greuter are each decorated with representations of the Labors of Hercules symbolizing the deeds and virtues of Henry IV, including one in which the columns of Hercules hold up the papal and French crowns, supported by a sceptre and a sword respectively, with the motto "duo protegit unus" to show Henry as both ruler of his kingdom and willing defender of the Church. In 1601, the City Council at Avignon voted 40 scudis to the printer Jacques Bramereau in order to enable him to travel to Paris and present copies of this book to the King, Queen, and Princes of France.” (Gouray description). If Greuter’s engravings and Valladier’s text are to be believed, the intricately-designed royal chariot itself was pulled along by “deux chevaux des plus grands harnachez en Elephans avec leurs Trombes, & le reste; Montez, & conduicts par deux Mores” [two of the biggest horses, harnessed [i.e. disguised] as elephants, with their trunks, and the rest; mounted, and driven along by two Black men]. However, halfway through the procession one of the musicians tore off the elephant costumes, fearing that the procession was not progressing quickly enough (pp. 19-21). OCLC shows fewer than a dozen copies in US libraries. There exist at least two different issues of the prelims – for example, ff. +++3 & 4 in the present copy have been entirely reset relative to the HathiTrust (Boston College) and Princeton copies, including different ornaments and at least one extra line of errata. In the present copy, Marie’s portrait has been bound before that of her husband, unlike in any of the scanned copies we have examined. The Paul and Marianne Gouray copy made $11,250 at Christie’s in economically-recessed 2009, but was in considerably poorer condition – shorter margins, front board detached, some heavy browning and dampstaining, and a repaired leaf. Despite these flaws, our colleagues currently offer it for $28,000. Other copies in auction records sound similarly less-than-perfect. * Berlin 2988; Ruggieri 99; Vinet 480; Watanabe 1686.