COOPER, James Fenimore. L’Espion. Traduit de l’Anglais par A.-J.-B. Defauconpret.

Paris: Charles Gosselin; Mame et Delaunay-Vallée; A. Sautelet & Cie., 1827.

Early French collected edition of The Spy, with folding map and engraved plates. Three volumes, 12mo/18mo format (approx. 165 × 105 mm). Volumes IV–VI of the Œuvres complètes de J. Fenimore Cooper. Each volume with an engraved frontispiece; Volume III also containing the folding engraved map (Carte des lieux indiqués dans le Roman de L’Espion) engraved by Pierre Tardieu, hand-colored in outline. Contemporary blue paper boards with printed paper spine labels; Moderate foxing, light toning, scattered stains, some wear to bindings but overall very good in original state.

First published in French in 1822 (Arthus Bertrand, 4 vols.), L’Espion was Cooper’s earliest major international success. This 1827 issue forms part of the Gosselin Œuvres complètes, issued simultaneously in 4 vols. 12mo and 3 vols. 18mo formats. The present set is the 3-volume format, distinguished by its engraved plates and, most notably, the folding Tardieu map illustrating the Hudson Valley and Long Island during the American Revolution. The inclusion of the map makes this issue especially appealing to collectors, as it highlights the novel’s geographic and historical setting.

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Bibliographic Reference

Spiller & Blackburn, A Descriptive Bibliography of the Writings of James Fenimore Cooper (New York: Bowker, 1934), pp. 66–67:

L’Espion. Traduit de l’Anglais par A.-J.-B. Defauconpret. Paris: Arthus Bertrand, 1822. 4 vols. 12mo. First French edition.

Later included in the Œuvres complètes (Paris: Gosselin, 1827), issued in both 4 vols. 12mo and 3 vols. 18mo, the latter with engraved plates and bearing the joint imprint of Gosselin; Mame et Delaunay-Vallée; A. Sautelet & Cie.

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An appealing example of Cooper’s early French reception, complete with engraved plates and the folding Tardieu map rarely retained. While not the true first French edition (1822), this 1827 collected edition is an important early Continental issue, desirable both for its illustrations and its striking cartographic supplement.