Memoires secrets pour servir a l'histoire de Perse

First edition, rather uncommon. Title printed in red and black.
Late 18th-century red half sheep binding. Spine with raised bands ruled in blind and gilt. Brown morocco label. Loss to foot of spine and a strip of leather missing along the upper joint. Rubbing. A brown waterstain affecting the centre of leaves 144–145.

A satirical roman à clef set during the Regency following the death of Louis XIV and the early years of Louis XV’s reign. Though presented as Memoirs, it is in fact an oriental tale recounting events in France and Europe since the death of Louis XIV, with real names disguised as Eastern ones. The story of the Man in the Iron Mask is recounted here for the first time. The book caused such a stir that even years later, during the Bourbon Restoration, families implicated in its pages demanded its official censorship. The author, unsurprisingly, was imprisoned in the Bastille upon publication.