CATALOGUE CASANOVIANA

Jacques Casanova de Seingalt at the age of 63. L. Berka [Prague] del. et sc.

Jacques Casanova de Seingalt [1725-1798] published quite a lot of titles during his lifetime, of which the first section of this catalogue includes some examples.

The most important part of the collection is in the second section, containing copies of the most important editions of the Mémoires, of which the manuscript was recently [February 2010] purchased by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France for a rumoured price of 7 mio €. This is the highest price this library ever paid for a manuscript, thus ranking Casanova in the upper league of European authors.

Casanova started writing those in early 1791 and was still working on it in 1798. At the time he was living as librarian at the castle of Count Waldstein in Dux.

The events included in the Memoirs end in 1774.

In those 49 years he travelled through Europe, when he could afford in his own carriage, using rented horses that could be exchanged when tired.

Picturing all his destinations would take quite some space. One picture only therefore of the Piazza de San Marco in Venezia just outside the café Florian, an image Casanova must have carried in his heart wherever he was in the world.

Prices

Those titles are not for sale, and only are a documentation of copies presently in THE STOA COLLECTION. However Max Israel once told me, that descriptions without prices were a bit of less interest to him. For that reason best estimates of a possible price in the retail sales-catalogue of a high-end antiquarian bookseller are stated.

Some titles were sold in the past or for sale elsewhere as indicated, and included here for reason of their general interest.

Published during the lifetime of Casanova

[054037] Casanova, Giacomo; Antonio Piazza. DISCORSO ALL'ORECCHIO DI MONSIEUR LOUIS GOUDAR. Londra [stated on title, more likely Firenze]: 1776. 55 [1] pp. Uncut in original state.

The attribution to Casanova is mainly based on an index to this publication in his handwriting found at Dux by Rava (see Sirène edition IX p. 408/09). "Although not mentioned by Pollio there can be no doubt that C. collaborated with Antonio Piazza in the drafting of this pamphlet ... (Casanovas) translation of the `Iliad'... was dedicated to Lord Tilney, a common acquaintance of C. and Goudar. At the time Goudar was in Italy with his wife, Sara, a former Irish barmaid he had met in London, and was busy with the writing of pamphlets which he published under the name of his wife ... (In this pamphlets) Goudar had been critical of Italy and Venice ... C. had first met Goudar in Paris. His acquaintance with him had been renewed in London in 1763-1764 ... On page 21 (of the Discorso') we find: And, further, do you believe we do not know what your life was in that Metropolis (London)? A most beautiful house, the charming young girls that you frequented, two companions worthy of you, who spread the net to catch suckers and young fools...

It was Goudar who served constantly as C's intermediary in the latter's famous affair with the Charpillon, the young prostitute who led him on and made perfect fool of him. It is to be suspected that Goudar had a hand-in this fleecing of C. Rives Childs A XXII. € 6.500

54037 actual size

[054038] Goudar, Ange. DUE DIALOGHI SOPRA MR GOUDAR CORRECTIVI AL DISCORSO ALL'ORECHIO. 31 [1=blank] pp. No place and date, however the DISCORSO being dated 1776, the same year is likely for this publication. Further the first Dialogue is dated June 14, 1776. Notes in ink in a contemporary hand on title, p. 19 and 21. Uncut. Collation A16, the original binding thread after A8. Rives Childs A XXII. € 1150.

[054039] Goudar, Sara. Lettre De Madame Sara Goudar a Monsieur L****. 34, [2=blank] pp. Collation A8 B10. B9 is a cancel. Original paper wrappers printed in black. Title on frontwrapper only, backwrapper blank. Original stitchings preserved. Not in Rives Childs [1956], which only mentions in XXII the first two letters to Monsieur L***, this being the third. He evidently obtained a copy later, which is discussed in Casanova Gleanings 9, and now at Randolph Macon College. This copy lacks the original wrappers ,pp. 33+34 and the last blank leaf however. No other copy in NCC, OPAC, KvK and OCLC my copy thus is the only complete copy presently known to me. € 6000.

54039 Frontwrapper p. 33 p. 34

[012727] Casanova, Giacomo. SOLILOQUE D'UN PENSEUR. Prague: Antoine Skoda, 1925. 70, (2) pp. Original fullleather, double line decoration and C blindstamped in gilt on frontboard, gilt title and decoration on spine. TEG, further uncut, with markerribbon. Head of spine a bit damaged.

Original French text (p. 5-41) and the Czech translation by Miloslav Novotny (p. 45-70) of the text originally published in Prague (1786) at Schoenfeld. The book seems never to have been offered for sale. The only known copy was found in the library of Count Kolowrat and is now in the National Museum in Prague. The work remained long unknown. Bordes de Fortage (editor of the 4th edition of Fuite) does not mention it in his Essai de Bibliographie Casanovienne in 1884), nor does Ottmann (1900). It was first attributed to Casanova by Jaroslav Kamper in an article in the Prague journal Union of October 6, 1907. Confirmation was later found in a letter to C. from Count Lamberg, who wrote: J'ai lu avec plaisir votre Soliloque, qui n'est pas d'un tete ordinaire (see intro of the 1926 Paris edition p. III by Raoul Veze). The 1925 edition is 300 copies, of which 100 on Papier de Hollande. This copy is 25 (numbered by hand on the last page) of the remainig 200.

Rives Childs XXXVI-2, who joins it with a *, indicating, that he does not own a copy in 1956. Presently (2003) a copy is in Randolph-Macon College, RC's alma mater and present owner of his collection, so evidently he later could buy a copy. No other copy in OCLC. Very rare, and further only available as Volume III of the Pages Casanoviennes (Paris, 1926, 1100 copies). In the last edition also a copy of the title of the 1786 edition. No copies in KVK, COPAC, BNF, LoC; UvA (Amsterdam) has 1 copy however. € 950.

[012951] (Casanova, Giacomo). DER ZWEITE TRENCK ODER GESCHICHTE MEINER ENTWEICHUNG AUS DEN STAATSGEFANGNISSE ZU VENEDIG. GESCHRIEBEN ZU DUX IN BOHMEN 1787. NACH DEM FRANZOSISCHEN. Wien und Leipzig: Wucherer, 1788. First Edition. 125, (3), pp., being a blank verso and H8 in the rear. Engravings after Berka are inserted before the title (titled "Er ist es nehmet ihn in Verwahrung") and facing p 98 (printers instruction "pag. 99" etched in right hand top corner). The engravings are identical to those in the French edition, however there the title and printer's instruction are not present and the name of Berka is in the right lower corner. In this German edition the name lacks, as required (see also the description of the BNF-copy below). Page edges with contemporary staining, Matching modern half brown morocco over patterned paper boards.

The first German abridged translation of Histoire de ma Fuite (1787), an early version of this part of the Memoirs completed by Casanova at a time he even did not consider to write them ( he stated that this should be left to others. after his death). The only part published during Casanova's lifetime. Rives Childs lists 56 different editions, the largest number of any work but the Memoirs.

Casanova wrote the work, because (as result of the loss of teeth) he was no longer able to present the story well verbally (See Avant-Propos to the French edition, also quoted by Kars (1998). On 11/4/1788

Opiz writes to Casanova on this book: "on vous y a donne le titre de Trenk Second. La ressemblance n'y differe qu'en cela, que les essais du veritable Trenk pour echapper de sa prison a Magdebourg n'ont pas reussi(s)". Indeed in those same years Trenk published an account of his fruitless efforts, one edition of which was also published by Wucherer. Evidently at that time Trenck was more well known than Casanova. The letter from Opiz in fact is the substantiation of the attribution of this anonymous book to Casanova.

The German translation is rarer than the French original: KVK lists 4 French and 2 German copies in German UBs. BNF has both editions; the description of the German copy states: "Les pl. non signées sont les pl. gravées par J. Berka pour l'éd. française", which agrees with the state of the plates in our edition. A French edition further is in Oxford (only in COPAC).

4 copies have been on the market in the past 50 years. At Brandes (1975) the Zobeltitz copy, which lacks 1 engraving (Zobeltitz was the first person to describe the copy in Zeitschr, f. Buecherfreunde NF 11,69, however also Pollio (p. 131) mentions it already in 1926, relating to the BNF copy. Strangely enough he states 1789 as the year of publishing, which is evidently incorrect). Kaldewey (1972) has the signed engravings of the French edition. Zisska (1995) is identical to our copy: "Rarissimum... Unserer vorliegender Druck dürfte also der einzige erhaltene mit beiden zum Druck gehörigen Tafeln sein". Not really. I now count: Zisska, BNF (based on description) and our copy. Descriptions of the German copies (Augsburg and Halle) do not mention any plates. However: indeed very rare. Additionally OCLC mentions a copy in Harvard and another in Randolph-Macon ( the Rives Child copy).

Rives Childs XXXVII-2. Pollio p. 131. Not in Bordes de Fortanges (1884) and Ottman (1900). € 11.000.

[013043] Casanova, Giacomo. HISTOIRE DE MA FUITE DES PRISONS DE LA REPUBLIQUE DE VENISE. Bordeaux: Veuve Moquet, 1884. First Thus. (6), XXXII, 270, (3), (11) pp., with the 2 Berka plates from the first French edition (which are signed, the Berka portrait, and an engraved bust of Casanova (all not in page-numbering. Original frontwrapper bound in. Of this edition 20 were printed on Wathman and 330 on verge de Hollande. This copy handnumbered 241. Contemporary quartercalf with gilt title on spine. Blue marbled boards. Uncut. Some minor offsetting of plates, no stopped by insertion of protective paper. This is a reprint of the 1788 edition of Fuite.. (the Schonfeld edition) with an extensive Notice and Essai de Bibliographie Casanovienne by L. B(ordes) de F(ortage). One of the earliest Casanova commentaries. Further the text of Fuite only can be found in the rare earlier Schonfeld- and Gebauer-editions, and thus in this small edition is a rarety itself especially being joined by the original plates. Comparing the text with that of the 1960 Brockhaus-Plon gives the impression, that both are in details furnished and words used quite identical. It is very well possible, that Casanova just inserted the FUITE text in the MEMOIRES after some detailed editing. So FUITE really is a very early prepublication from the MEMOIRS.

Rives Childs XXXVII-14.

€ 940.

[012737] Casanova, Giacomo. EDUARD UND ELISABETH/ BEI DEN MEGAMIKREN/ EIN PHANTASTISCHER ROMAN. Berlin: Benjamin Harz Verlag, 1922. First Edition. two volumes. 347, [1] and 255, [1] pp.

Rives Childs XXXVIII 2.

An abbreviated version of the ICOSAMERON translated into German and edited by Heinrich Conrad. € 120,00

Mémoires

In later life Casanova longed to be recognised for his capacities as an author and a scientist. As outlined his early effort describing his life [his flight from the Venice Leads] just was a practical replacement of his narrations, no longer understandable because of his decaying teeths. He then felt others should describe his life.

His expectations than were that ISOCAMERON would make him world-famous as an author [like Jules Verne later on related subjects], and also his attempts of adding knowledge on the subject of duplication of the cube are scientifically quite ambitious.

When at the end of 1790 nothing came of all that, he decided to elaborate the Venice Prison Flight Story to his whole life 1725-1774 extended with much more detail on underlying thoughts and observations than in the Flight earlier published. Those Mémoires were written between early 1791 and 1798.

Finally this text earned him a section in Havelock Ellis, Affirmations, 1898 as the first modern man before Friedich Nietzsche.

The publication history of this manuscript is a bit complicated, as outlined in the descriptions of the following early editions.

Prepublication of fragments

announcing that of the complete text

[023204] Casanova, Giacomo. In: URANIA. TASCHENBUCH AUF DAS JAHR 1822-1824.

Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1822. (20), IX, [1], 475, (1) pp. 7 engravings (with titles) and protecting leaves inserted in the unpaged section (those pages NOT included in page count). Missing the halftitle and the Nachricht on verso.

Contemp. halfcalf, title on spine. Edgewear all over, however inner and outer hinges intact. Quite narrowly cut, measuring 128*83 mm only. However no loss of text.

Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1823. (20), 560 pp. In the first part 7 engravings (with titles) and 5 protecting leaves [2 missing] inserted in the unpaged section (those pages NOT included in page count).

Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1824. (40), 349, (3) pp. In the first part 7 (of 8, frontispiece portrait of Canova missing, however protecting blank facing title present) engravings (with titles) not included in page count. The last 3 pp. Verlagsanzeigen.

All three volumes small 8vo (130*85 mm.), in different and quite unassuming contemporary private bindings, presently presented in new uniform boxes using contemporary material.

The first publication of text of the German translation of the Memoirs of Casanova. The manuscript was purchased by Brockhaus in 1821, and Schutz started the German translation. Twelve volumes were published in 1822-28.

The issue of the volumes was preceeded by partial prepublications in the Urania year books presented here. In Urania the publisher announced novelties for the year to come. In view of that prepublications were discontinued after 1824, and the set thus includes all Casanova text issued in this form.

Brockhaus only later decided on publication of a French edition, the first volume dated 1826.

These three volumes of the periodical contain all text published this early, and consists of the following extracts:

the meeting of Casanova and Cagliostro at Aix, Casanova's duel with Branicki, and Casanova's encounters with Haller and Voltaire (1822, pp.279-371);

Casanova in London, Casanova's escape from 'I Piombi' (1823, pp.393-545);

Casanova in Madrid (1824, pp.243-341).

Further interesting introductions are included by Brockhaus (8 pp.)and Schutz (9 and 4 pp.).

….quite unassuming contemporary private bindings

Rives Childs B.I.1, 3 and 6. the first of 392 listings of editions of the Memoirs up to 1956, the year of publication of this authorative bibliography. Rives Childs remarks on those: These 3 issues of Urania for 1822-1824 were quoted at 25, 20 and 20 Swiss francs respectively in 1932, a very low price considering their great rarety. Brockhaus sought to find a set for Uzanne but without success.

The only complete set extant was in the collection of J. Rives Childs himself, now in the library of Randolph Macon College [Ashland VA]. For the comments of the local librarian on those copies see the research note.

The pagination of the set in Casanoviana is difficult to understand. Those and the conclusions on completeness stated above are based on a new analysis using the quiremarks.

See the related research note, that also includes remarks on the variant states of the set. € 19.600

First German

[023247] (Casanova, Giacomo). AUS DEN MEMOIREN DES VENETIANERS JACOB CASANOVA DE SEINGALT, ODER SEIN LEBEN WIE ER ES ZU DUX IN BOHMEN NIEDERSCHRIEB. Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1822-1828. First Edition. 12 volumes,over 6200 pages in all. 8to [146*104 mm.] Collation in agreement with Rives Childs B 1 2. who mentions 2 unnumbered pages at the end of the Volumes II and V. Those are publisher's ads at the end of Volume II and errata at the end of Volume V. As usual pp. 353-368 and 400 are incorrectly numbered 343-358 and 398. Contemporary halfcalf, pages more narrowly cut than in some other copies, edges heavily rubbed. Internally quite clean with some incidental browning, no text cut off.

This is the first German edition of Casanova's Memoirs by the publisher, who purchased the manuscript [in French] from the heirs. It preceedes the publication of the French text with a few years, and thus is the first complete publication of the memoirs. It is quite expugated however. For instance over 1 page is left out in the story of C. and Madame Dubois visiting the Mata in Bern, which makes the ensuiing relationship between the two quite incomprehensible. The first 2 volumes came out in 1822. Volume 12 is dated 1828. All volumes are uniform however.

Already in 1846 Barthold recognized the importance of the Memoirs as a time document (Die geschichtlichen Persönlichkeiten in Jacob Casanova's Memoiren, Berlin, Duncker). The reliability of the Memoirs has been reconfirmed thereafter mainly by French Casanovists (Pages Casanoviennes, published in the 20's and the work of Rives Childs in the '60. The work has got frequent attention for its erotic passages, being often excerpted and illustrated. Those passages are indeed interesting, and Casanova's approach is refreshing. However in current times we increasingly realise that this is a unique document of daily life in the second part of the 18th century. Rives Childs B 1 2. € 25.700,00

53923 Nisle, Casanova Gallerie: With M, Dubois in La Matte, Berne. See Mémoires [1960] VI p. 185

A not so much better copy was [2008] offered by David Brass, Los Angeles at $ 22.500. In 2011 another copy fetched € 18.600 [hammerprice incl. premium, Hauff & Auvermann, Berlin, 18212/141].

First French

[012885] Casanova, Giacomo. MEMOIRES. Leipzig, Paris, Bruxelles: Brockhaus, 1826-1838. First Edition. 12 volumes,over 6000 pages in all. 12mo. [174*107 mm.]. Collation in agreement with Rives Childs B 1 9.

In all volumes Roman numbered I is a halftitle in each volume.

He further mentions (ii) in the rear of volume II [being in our copy 2 pp. publisher's ads] and also [ii] in the rear of volume III [2 pp. blank in our copy].

In addition volumes I, II and III of our copy each have an unnumbered errata leaf at the end, which is not in the Rives Childs collation. Bordes de Fortage (1884, Rives Childs XXXVII-14) also mentions those 3 errata leaves as present in his copy. Contemporary black half roan with marbled boards, marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt. Title and volume number in gilt on spines.

Variable, generally light spotting, occasional scorch-marks causing pinholes on a few leaves, light dampstaining in volumes II, V, X, bifolia I/5.8 and I/6.7 bound in reverse order.

This is the first French edition of Casanova's Memoirs by the publisher, who purchased the manuscript from the heirs. The first 4 volumes came out in Leipzig under the Brockhaus imprint in 1826 and 27. Because of censorship problems the following 4 volumes have the imprint Ponthieu, Paris, and the last 4 only Bruxelles (without publisher). Volume 12 is dated 1838. All volumes are uniform however.

As such it is the EDITIO PRINCEPS of the Memoires (written by Casanova in French) only preceeded by some publications of excerpts in Urania (annually published by Brockhaus) and the quite expurgated Schütz edition, all in German. This edition has been the most reliable untill Brockhaus decided to make the manuscript available around 1960. Many outstanding editions (Sirène, 1924, Pleiade, 1960) are based on it.

Already in 1846 Barthold recognized the importance of the Memoirs as a time document (Die geschichtlichen Persoenlichkeiten in Jacob Casanova's Memoiren, Berlin, Duncker). The reliability of the Memoirs has been reconfirmed thereafter mainly by French Casanovists (Pages Casanoviennes, published in the 20's and the work of Rives Childs in the '50. The work has got frequent attention for its erotic passages, being often excerpted and illustrated. Those passages are indeed interesting, and Casanova's approach is refreshing. However in current times we increasingly realise that this is a unique document of daily life in the second part of the 18th century.

Rare. Rives Childs B 1 9. Only one copy in European libraries (BNF). Sold 2003, Christies 9639/126 ₤ 4.000 hammer.

La belle O’Morphy. See Mémoires [1960] III p. 198

Very early and rare reprint

from eminent provenance

[013049] Casanova, Giacomo. MEMOIRES DE JACQUES CASANOVA DE SEIGNALT, ECRITS PAR LUI-MEME. Bruxelles: J.P. Meline, 1833. 10 volumes, 338; 360; 356; 340; 302; 312; 326; 364; 326; [4], 328 pp. including halftitles. Rives Childs does not mention the [4] pp. at the beginning of volume X. Those pp. are the halftitle and title, each with blank verso, the text starting at p. 1. It is most likely, that those 4 pp. are also in his copy, and were just not included in the description by a slip of the pen.

First Edition thus. 12mo in sixes. Printed at the Imprimerie de Vanderborght Fils, Brussels its name on verso of halftitle.

10 volumes seperately bound in halfvellum with blue marbled boards, gilt-stamped black and brown morocco spine labels, plain endpapers, fore and lower edges uncut. Slight wear, sunning and rubbing to spine and covers (chiefly to extremities); slight cocking to few spines; spine labels for volumes 8 and 9 reversed (with ink corrections on spine).

Internally somewhat spotted, volumes III-IV, VIII and X dampstained, leaf II, 27/1 torn touching text and reinforced on the verso, quire VIII, 9 misbound after VIII, 14. Uniform internal browning and/or foxing throughout; else a very serviceable set.

Rives Childs further notes: "(the edition)...is a very early and rare pirated edition of the first 8 volumes of Laforgue. $ 100 in 1942.". Those 8 Volumes constitute all text available in French in 1833, the last 4 Volumes of Laforgue being published by Brockhaus only in 1838

The only verbatim reprint of the Laforgue text [which is itself rare] available before the more scholarly 1924 Sirène edition [12738].

.

PROVENANCE: Guiseppe Marino Urbani de Gheitof, his inkstamp on the titles of volume I and II. Urbani de Gheitof (1855-1908) antiquarian and historian of Venice. Fernandino Ongaria Successore, Venice, bookseller's ticket at fpep of volume I. Rives Childs B 1 13. Pollio p. 220. € 3.750,00

First US

[013086] Casanova, Giacomo. MEMOIRS OF CASANOVA, by Himself. Philadelphia: Adam Waldie, 1834. First Edition. In: WALDIE'S SELECT CIRCULATING LIBRARY Volume II no. 1-26. 4to., 280*225 mm 416p. Contemporary halfcalf with gilt title on spine. No endpapers. Quite battered spine and boards, backhinge almost loose, title faded. Bound with some odd copies from the same period under the subtitle New Series, Volume II, each installment starting with "Journal des belles lettres. Possibly incidental supplements to the weekly published main work. Browning and foxing, especially in the beginning and in the New Series. No volume-title, part of the title of installment 1 missing, all other 25 complete. Casanova's contribution in 26 (January 7, 1834 on pp. 403-410, which only is a triffle browned. As the text is printed in small 6p characters in 3 columns, more text than the number of pages suggest.

Those are the first Casanova words published in the US. In the English language only preceeded by a somewhat longer fragment in The London Magazine (1826), of which even Rives-Childs indicates not to have a copy. Both are extracts of C's escape from the Leads. With a preface. Rives Childs B 1 14. € 750,00

Best reconstructed edition

[012738] Casanova, Giacomo. MEMOIRES... ECRITS PAR LUI-MEME. Paris: La Sirene, 1924. First Thus. CII,340/ XXI, 324/ XXXI, 361/ XXXI, 351/ XIV, 347/ XXX, 351/ XXIX, 348/ XLVI, 316, XXI, 434/XXXIV, 365/ XLVI,350/ XXXVI, 338 pp. 12 volumes in large 8to. Contemporary red marocco with gilt title in black letterpiece on spine. TEG, original wrappers bound in.

Published under direction of Raoul Veze in 1924-1935. With numorous contributions of eminent Casanovists. Based on the Laforgue edition (1826-38), with variants noted as to the Schutz and Paulin text. The verbatim text of the original manuscript was published by Brockhaus only in 1960-62, and was long postponed, because the Sirene edition "realisait en tous points ...ce que Albert Brockhaus... avait projeté pour la publication du manuscrit" (preface to the Edition Integrale). Rives Childs B 1 216. Sold, Christies 2003 £ 500 hammerprice.

First edition from original manuscript

[013067] Casanova, Giacomo. HISTOIRE DE MA VIE. Wiesbaden: Brockhaus, 1960. First Edition. XXI, 337; 355; 321; 310; 398; 463 pp. 12 Volumes bound in 6, 1960-62. Original red cloth with gilt floral decoration and title on spine. Original cellophane wrappers. TEG. India paper. Frontispiece portrait (by Berka) of the author in Volume 1.Each volume with 2 markerribbons.

Edition integrale, the first verbatim edition of the original manuscript obtained by Brockhaus in 1821 from Casanova's heirs. All previous editions were heavily edited, however the Brockhaus family felt that: "L'edition de la Sirene realisait en tous point dans sa forme et sa presentation, ce que Albert Brockhaus, mort en 1921, avait projeté pour la publication du manuscrit." It was felt that a verbatim edition would double on that. To end however all textual speculations of Casanovists, it finally was decided to publish, seule l'orthographe et la ponctuation ont étés modernisées. Reference to manuscript pages in the text. € 300,00

Correspondence

[012728] Casanova, Giacomo. CORRESPONDANCE AVEC J.F. OPIZ. Leipzig: Kurt Wolff, 1913. 210, (2=Imprimerie W. Drugulin, Leipzig) and 183, (1=same printer) pp. Two volumes. Original halfcalf with decorated boards, spine with 6 raised bands and title in black and gilt letterpiece. Uncut. With 12 illustrations mounted on seperate leaves and double-page facimile, not in pagecount. Manuscript edited by Fr, Khol and Otto Pick, with notes and epilogue of the editors and indexes. The full text of letters exchanged between Casanova and Opiz, dating from 1788 to 1794. Of great interest for the details of the genesis of the Memoirs. The edition consists of 850 copies, of which this is no. 242 (handwritten on verso of title). Ries Childs C-VI. € 200,00

[013076] CASANOVA Gustav Gugitz. CASANOVA UND GRAF LAMBERG. Wien: Bernina Verlag, 1935. First Edition. 335 pp. Frontispice portrait of Casanova after Berka and 17 other illustrations. Original red cloth with title in gilt on spine and frontboard. Top edge stained yellow. The letters of Graf Lamberg to Casanova, the first dated 1767 and the last 1792, when Lamberg died. First publication of the letters. 2/2/1794 C. wrote to Opiz: La correspondance que je voudrois qu'on imprimat apres ma mort est celle que j'ai eue avec Comte Lamberg. (1913, Wolff: p46). Text in German, I suppose the letters translated from the French originals, which are in the Dux library. On p 55 (20/10/1786) L. writes to have read Soliloque; the only written reference based on which this anonimous work is now attributed to C. € 60,00

[013105] Rava, Aldo and Gustav Gugitz. FRAUENBRIEFE AN CASANOVA. Muenchen und Leipzig: Georg Mueller, 1912. First Edition. XIII, 562 pp. with 14 tables. Contemporary black cloth with green marbled boards and gilt title on spine. Title in black and red. Band XIV of the Conrad Gesamtausgabe, and first publication of this selection of letters from the Dux archives. Rives Childs 131 (all 15 volumes. € 40,00

Secondary literature

[023170] Meursius. ELEGANTAE LATINI SERMONIS seu ALOISIA sigae Toletana de Arcanis Amoris et Veneris, adjunctis fragmentis quibusdam eroticis.. Leiden (Paris): ex typis Elzevirianis [Barbou], , 1757. (2), XXIV-211, (5), 172 pages, pretty frontispiece. 2 parts in 1 volume. Contemporary Full speckled Havana calf, gilt title in burgundy morocco label on spine, flower decoration in gilt on spine, frame of triple gilt Iines on boards. Decorated endpapers. All edges gilt. Some minor foxing. COHEN, 239, thinks that the frontispiece is probably of GRAVELOT; it announces also a engraved title which are not in our copy, which has only one typographical title page. These Dialogues would have been written in Spanish by Luisa Sigaea from Toledo and translated into Latin by Jean MEURSIUS. Actually, this " sotadic " satire (Sotadès de Maronée was one of the Greek poets licencieux) is the work of a French Latinist, the lawyer Nicolas CHORIER(1609-1692) from Grenoble. This edition was printed in Paris at Barbou who, because of the licencious character of the work, felt obliged to shelter under the " mask " of Elzevier de Leyde. € 750.

[023470] Barthold, F W. DIE GESCHICHTLICHEN PERSONLICHKEITEN IN JACOB CASANOVA'S MEMOIREN/ BEITRAGE ZUR GESCHICHTE DES ACHTZEHNTEN JAHRHUNDERTS. Berlin: Alexander Duncker, 1846. First Edition. (4), 268, (2), 339, XV pp. Contemporary cloth. 2 volumes bound together. Edges stained. Interior quite white and clean. Some minor edgewear. Hinges as new. Small sticker of Th. Mandelbach, Buchbinder, Braunschweig at fpep. Barthold's is the very first study of the Memoirs (the publication of which was completed in 1838), especially considering it as a study of daily life in the 18th century in higher circles. For this purpose the memoirs should be found reliable however, which is the task Barthold assumed in his book. Evidently with success, for he concludes at the end of volume 2: Wir hoffen aber unsere Aufgabe geloescht zu haben: dem verurserten Wuestlinge das Diplom als wahrhaften Geschichtschreibers des Jahrhunderts......mit kritischer Gewissenhaftigkeit zu ertheilen. Rives Childs D 57. € 600.

[033691] Havelock Ellis. AFFIRMATIONS. London: Walter Scott Ltd, 1898. First Edition. VII, (2), 248, (8) pp. Original blue cloth with gilt title on spine. Cloth heavily rubbed but intact. Inscribed by the author on ffep.

Chapters on Nietzsche, Casanova, Zola, Huysmans, St Francis and others. Quite original. From the introduction: The great questions of life are immortal, only because no one can answer them for his fellows. I claim no general validity for my affirmations. Sounds like Tractatus 7. Ellis sums up at the end of his paper on Casanova [p.130]: What should be our last word on Casanova? It is true that allthough- if indeed one should not say because- he was so heroically naturalCasanova was not an average normal man. For if you would find the supreme type of the human animal in the completest development of his rankness and cunning, in the very plenitude of his most excellent wits, I know not where you may more safely go then to the Mémoires of the self-ennobled Jacques Casanova Chevalier de Seingalt. € 120,00

[023436] Ottmann, Victor. JACOB CASANOVA DE SEINGALT/ SEIN LEBEN UND SEINE WERKE/ NEBST CASANOVAS KOMODIE DAS POLEMOSKOP. Stuttgart: Gesellschaft Der Bibliophielen, 1900. First Edition. 192 pp. Frontispiece portrait of Casanova, 7 pages with pictures and 4 with facsimiles. Original red cloth with gilt title and decoration on frontboard and spine. Top edge red. Decorated endpapers. Original bookplate of the Gesellschaft at fpep. Includes a biography (partly priced out!). One of 1.000 copies, however unnumbered. As most copies are numbered this must be a kind of Vorzugsausgabe. Rives Childs 771. € 250.

[033634] Adnesse, J. F. H.. CASANOVA APRES SES MEMOIRES. VENISE-VIENNE-DUX 1774-1798. Bordeaux: Mounastre-Picamilh, 1919. First Edition. 124, (2) pp. and 2 portraits of Casanova. 4to (230*180 mm). 3/4 blue morocco and cloth covers by Zucker of Philadelphia (USA), their name printed at the verso of ffep (with a handwritten note in the hand of Buck stating "first edition bound in 1924") . Gilt tooled chain borders on boards. Title in gilt on spine. Top edge gilt. Laid brownish gray endpapers. PROVENANCE: Michell S. Buck, his bookplate at fpep. With signed letter from Adnesse (in English!) to Buck regarding an offer to translate this work and a full page of errata in manuscript of Adnesse all bound in in front. At the last page of the letter is a pencilled note signed MSB:"In a later letter M. Adnesse mentions his age as 85 years and says he had not studied English since leaving school in 1856". Original grey wrappers printed in red and black bound in. Buck is the author of THE LIFE OF CASANOVA FROM 1774 TO 1798. A SUPPLEMENT TO THE MEMOIRS, DRAWN FROM THE WORK OF J. F. H. ADNESSE AND OTHER SOURCES (1924). Rives Childs D15, who remarks: A first attempt to examine Casanova's life from the termination of the Memoirs to his death in 1798. Extremely useful. € 750,00

The following 2 titles show that in 1924 this title was issued in 2 states:

[a]. Uncut, without jacket, for more conservative booksellers?

[b]. Cut, from the same sheets as [a], thus 3 mm smaller. The modern version.

Note that a complete copy in all black boards should have a jacket.

[033750] Buck, Mitchell S.. THE LIFE OF CASANOVA FROM 1774-1798. A SUPPLEMENT TO THE MEMOIRS. New York: Nicholas L. Brown, 1924. First Edition. 130, (2) pp. Original black cloth over orange boards with title on orange label printed in black on spine. Label darkened. Uncut. Without jacket, as issued.

With handwritten note by the author: M. Adnesse was born in 1838 and at the present time -1928- is still hale and hearty and writes most interesting letters. Signed M S Buck. PROVENANCE: Herbert Boyce Satcher, his small bookplate at fpep and handwritten name at ffep.

Drawn from the work of J F H Adnesse (1919), see our book 33634, which is from the library of the present author. From the DJ: the memoirs of Casanova end with 1774 when the Great Adventurer was 50 years of age. Of the last 24 years of his life he left no account. The present volume supplies this deficiency, giving an outline of Casanova's later life, up to the time of his death. € 250,00

[033656] Buck, Mitchell S.. THE LIFE OF CASANOVA FROM 1774-1798. A SUPPLEMENT TO THE MEMOIRS. New York: Nicholas L. Brown, 1924. First Edition. 130, (2) pp. Original black cloth with title on orange label printed in black on spine. Orange dustjacket printed in black. DJ discolored at spine. Edgewear to DJ, especially at head of spine. No edgewear however.

Quite a common book, however 1924 titles are rare in dustjacket. € 150,00

[023472] Pollio, J.. BIBLIOGRAPHIE ANECDOTIQUE ET CRITIQUE DES OEUVRES DE JACQUES CASANOVA. Paris: L. Giraud-Badin, 1926. First Edition. 234, (2) pp. One of only 600 copies on plain paper. Original wrappers printed in black and red. Perfect spine. Frontispiece portrait of Casanova (reproduction of a painted portrait by his brother Francois). Uncut. Minor even browning. Many reproductions of titlepages of 1st impressions of works of Casanova. One of the authorative bibliographies, surpassed 30 years later by Rives Childs. € 250,00

[033633] Rives Childs, J. CASANOVIANA AN ANNOTATED WORLD BIBLIOGRAPHY. Vienna: Christian M. Nebehay, 1956. First Edition. VIII, 396 pp. Portrait facing title. # 326 of 500. Original cream wrappers printed in black. Complete as issued, with a maroon paper band promoting the book and an announcement laid in of what later became Casanova Gleanings. An unread copy. The rare wrappers version of this important bibliography on Casanova, which was printed in a very small edition (the number of 500 referring to wrappers and bound edition together). € 500,00

[012730] Casanova, Giacomo. Choix et commentaires de Jean Francois Laya. CARO MIO DON GIACOMO. Vezenaz pres Geneve: Pierre Cailler, 1946. First Edition. (2), 179, (5) pp. First and only edition on the occasion of the 220th birthday of Casanova. No IV of XX copies on papier creme antique a la cuve, sans bois, signed Original folded white wrappers in glasine. Rives Childs 558 € 160,00

[002532] Kesten, Hermann. DIE LUST AM LEBEN (BOCCACCIO-ARETINO-CASANOVA). Munchen: Verlag Kurt Desch, 1968. First Edition. 176pp. First edition. Bright blue cloth with white and gilt lettering. Top edge stained gray. Blue and black dustjacket without defects, which is rare on German books, certainly in this condition. A beautiful copy, priced thus, hoping nobody will ever buy it. € 110,00

[002534] Kesten, Hermann. CASANOVA. Munchen: Verlag Kurt Desch, 1952. First Edition. 773+3pp. Pink cloth with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Dustjacket printed in red and black. Original slipcase. Endpapers decorated with skeches of couples in various states of undressing in 50s style (quite modern for 1952 in fact). Some very slight soiling of exterior of slipcase, some minor damage to top of dustjacket. Further an attractive book in excellent condition. Kesten was one of the first writers after the second world war to draw attention to the qualities of Casanova as a historian describing in detail daily life in the 18th century in the upper class, as a humorist and as an "amateur des femmes". € 110,00

[053923] Flem, Lydia. CASANOVA OU L'EXERCICE DU BONHEUR. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1995. First Edition. 240, (14) pp.Original white wrappers printed in black and green. Full color dustjacket displaying a galant scene by Fragonard. It is interesting, that Flem as a woman draws the attention to the fact, that Casanova’s erotic escapades always centered on the sharing of happiness with his partner. He was appalled when Goudar offered him a special forcing chair to overcome the resistance of la Charpillon in London nearing the latter days of his eternal youth. His former mistresses thought back to him without hard feelings, possibly also, because the breaking up of a relationship was not caused by a compulsive inability, but rather the fact that his partner would be better off in the long run with another man [eg Madame Dubois] or the practical fact that other obligations forced the partners to continue their journey in different directions [eg Henriette]. This sharing capacity could even be to the taste of modern women in the 21^st century. € 50,00

Japin, Arthur. EEN SCHITTEREND GEBREK. Amsterdam, Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers, 2003. 239 p. Original multicoloured wrappers.

The inspiration for this perfectly plotted, historical novel lies in Casanova's memoirs, and a tiny reference to Lucia with whom he fell in love at the age of seventeen in Italy [see Memoirs [1960] I p. 74 ff.], and later met, hideously disfigured, in an Amsterdam brothel. Arthur Japin has expanded the story, in the Italian scenes closely following the events described in the Memoirs, however now as seen IN LUCIA’S EYES [which is also the title of the 2007 English translation] and admiringly retaining the admosphere. The Amsterdan scenes are all his own fiction.

The veiled Lucia makes love with Casanova and remarks:

It is true that Giacomo is an exceptional lover, tender and honest at the same time. He does not hide that he is interested prinarily in his own pleasure. That is a relief. He states, and I do believe him, that he can enjoy this pleasure only in full when it is completely reciprocal. Therefore he works as hard to please his lover as himself. This unique quality makes him irresistable.

Japin however also describes Casanova’s tendency to overplay his hand, causing a fear, that ultimately all embellishing phantasy will break down. Then the belief of his beloved will break down and even turn into contempt. Such fear, Japin makes Casanova say, disrupts him.

Illustrations

[033693] CASANOVA -- Sauvage, Sylvain. SIXTY-TWO DRYPOINTS ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE MEMOIRS OF JACQUES CASANOVA DE SEINGALT VENITIEN. (Paris?): (Paul Cotinaud?), 60 dry point engravings on Velin d'Arches in portfolio. 8to (170*250 mm., the etchings however 85*140 mm.). Gray boards with title label printed in black pasted to frontboard. Portfolio expertly restored. One etching slightly toned (has been the first in the pile in the past 80 years). 1 of 200 sets marked in pen "presentation" on frontlabel. Pencil signature of the artist on the same. Rives Childs mentions (II.8) a set with the title in French consisting of 50 etchings from the publisher mentioned and dates this 1924. He further mentions 12 ultra licentious engravings sometimes found with this set. Those together must have been the basis for this portfolio of 62 engravings published under an English title not known to him. The French set consists of 290 sets, of which 15 for presentation. This English titled set quite likely comes from the same publisher as the French one. As in those years UK and US distribution were much more obscure than those in France (remember that Nabokov, Lawrence and Miller only could be published in France up to the 1960's) it is understandable that RC missed this title. Rare (possibly 10-15 presentation copies). Sadly lacking 2 engravings from the original set of 50, thus a complete set of the rare 12 ultra licentious.. € 1.500.

[033767] Nisle, Julius. CASANOVA GALERIE. Dortmund: Harenberg, 1980. (6), VIII, 125, (5) pp. 48 coloured plates. Original blue wrappers with laid up galant scene on which also the title. A reprint of the first attempt to illustrate the Memoirs of Casanova. The original edition (title also copied in the present one) states Paris, deutscher Kunstverlag. This actually was Stuttgart, Scheible and it should be dated around 1850. The plates were destroyed on order of the German authorities, and as a result copies of the 1850 edition are extremely rare. Those plates are black and white. Reproductions in this reprint are from an even rarer copy with coloured-in details.

In 1864 the INTERMEDIAIRE DES CHERCHEURS ET DES CURIEUX reported the work as even then almost unobtainable. The text of the 48 scenes is in German, even more purged than the Schütz edition and therefore quite uninteresting. The plates however are quite libertine. 3 show a male membrum, which must have been quite shocking in the time. The female counterpart on plate 41 is done in more detail however, which shows especially under a magnifying glass. Maybe there are more of such surprises in other plates.

The Volume and Chapter which a plate illustrates are stated under its lower margin. The plates therefore can be used as an easy guide to galant scenes in the unpurged Brockhaus-Plon (1960) edition. Some galant scenes are not illustrated. A sheet with additional reading recommendations is laid in and thus make this a unique copy. € 900,00