XXXII,352 p. Half cloth. (Recently rebound. Margins uncut. Clear typography) (Ludovic Lalanne, 1815-1898, Paris, was a French historian and librarian. § By her marriage to Henry IV of France the French princess Marguerite de Valois, 1553-1615, became queen of France. This marriage, which was to celebrate the reconciliation of Catholics and Huguenots, was tarnished by the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, and the resumption of the religious troubles. After taking side with the Catholic League she was banished and forced to live in exile for 20 years. 'A well-known woman of letters and an enlightened mind as well as an extremely generous patron, she played a considerable part in the cultural life of the court, especially after her return from exile in 1605. She was a vector of Neoplatonism, which preached the supremacy of platonic love over physical love. While imprisoned, she took advantage of the time to write her Memoirs. She was the first woman to have done so. She was one of the most fashionable women of her time, and influenced many of Europe's royal courts with her clothing. She has been a victim of a misogynist historiographic tradition that has demolished the importance of her actions in the political sphere of the era (...) giving credit to libel and slander circulated on her account and created and handed down through the centuries the myth of a beautiful woman, cultured, nymphomaniac and incestuous. This legend has crystallized around the famous nickname La Reine Margot (Queen Margot), invented by Alexandre Dumas, père'. (Sources Wikipedia)