XVIII. (possessor unknown).  A folio vol., blue morocco, gilt, stamped with the arms of France, from the Randon de Boisset library; the seventy-two tales complete, a very fine copy. Catalogue des livres de la bibliotheqzie de l’Abbe Rive, Marseilles, 1793. (This MS. should not be confounded with No. xvii.  See L. J. Hubaud’s Dissertation sur les Contes de la Reine de Navarre, Marseilles, 1850.)

The following are the editions of Queen Margaret’s tales issued from the press from the sixteenth century to the present time.  The list has been prepared with great care, and we believe it to be as complete a one as can be furnished; it includes several editions not mentioned in Brunet’s Manual:—­

I. Histoires des Amans Fortunez dediees a tres illustre princesse, Mme. Marguerite de Bourbon, etc., par Pierre Boaistuau, dit Launoy, Paris, 1558, 40.  The authorisation to print and publish was accorded to Vincent Sertenas, and the work was issued by three different booksellers; some copies bearing the name of Gilles Robinot, others that of Jean Cavyller, and others that of Gilles Gilles.

This, the first edition of the Queen’s work, contains only sixty-seven of the tales, which are not divided into days or printed in their proper sequence; the prologues, moreover, are deficient, and all the bold passages on religious and philosophical questions, &c, in the conversational matter following the stories, are suppressed.

II. L’Heptameron des Nouvelles de tris illustre et tres excellente Princesse Marguerite de Valois, Royne de Navarre, &c., dedie a tres illustre et tres vertueuse Princesse Jeanne, Royne de Navarre, par Claude Gruget, parisien, Paris, Vincent Certena, or Jean Caveillier, 1559.

This contains all the Queen’s tales excepting Nos. xi., xliv., and xlvi., which Gruget replaced by others, probably written by himself.  The other stories are placed in their proper order, but none of the names and passages suppressed by Boaistuau are restored.  The phraseology of the MSS., moreover, is still further modified and polished.

The text adopted by Boaistuau and Gruget was followed, with a few additional modifications, in all the editions issued during the later years of the sixteenth century.  Most of these are badly printed and contain numerous typographical errors:—­

III. L’Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c.  Reprint of Gruget’s edition, sold by Vincent Sertenas, Gilles Robinot & Gilles Gille, and printed by Benoist Prevost, Paris, 1560.

IV. L’Heptameron des Nouvelles, &c., 1560, 16mo. (No bookseller’s or printer’s name appears in this edition. )

V. L’Heptameron, &c. (Gruget).  Guill.  Rouille, Lyons, 1561, small 12mo; Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1561, 16mo.

VI.  The same.  Norment & Bruneau, and Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1567, 16mo.

VII.  The same.  Louys Cloquemin, Lyons, 1572, 16mo (reprinted in 1578 and 1581).