A pair of volumes (Tomes VII and VIII) from the 1827 edition of the *Oeuvres Complètes* of Esprit Fléchier (1632–1710), Bishop of Nîmes and celebrated French orator. These volumes contain his renowned historical biography, *Histoire du Cardinal Commendon* (and *Vie du Cardinal Commendon*). Notably, they survive in their original, temporary publisher's printed paper wrappers with completely uncut, untrimmed deckle edges (exemplaire non rogné), offering a rare glimpse into early 19th-century book production and distribution.

Historical & Style Details

• Author: Esprit Fléchier (1632–1710)
• Title: Oeuvres Complètes de Fléchier (Tome Septième & Tome Huitième)
• Period: Georgian (1827)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Letterpress printing on paper, original printed paper wrappers
• Markings: Title pages inscribed "OEUVRES COMPLETES DE FLÉCHIER, TOME SEPTIÈME [HUITIÈME]... PARIS, BOISTE FILS AINÉ, SOUQUET, DUFOUR ET Cie. 1827"
• Publisher: Boiste Fils Aîné, Souquet, Dufour et Cie
• Printer: Imprimerie de Lachevardière, Rue du Sentier, N° 15, Paris
• Condition: Spines heavily worn, chipped, and torn with significant paper loss exposing the stitched binding structure; wrappers soiled, stained, and frayed at edges; text block untrimmed with dust-soiling and minor foxing to edges.

History

Esprit Fléchier was one of the most celebrated pulpit orators of the French classical age, alongside Bossuet and Bourdaloue, renowned for his funeral orations and elegant historical biographies. In the early 19th century, French publishers frequently issued multi-volume collected works in temporary, cheap paper wrappers, intending for buyers to take them to a binder to be bound in leather to match their personal libraries. Uncut copies surviving in these original wrappers are highly prized by bibliophiles as they preserve the full original margins of the paper sheets.