Bérenger. Complete Works In Two Volumes. 1847

There are monuments that everyone has heard of, yet are no longer visited. And yet the work of Pierre-Jean de Bérenger (1780-1857) was celebrated and sung in every cabaret (the famous "vaults"), on street corners in every town and city in France, and recognized by the greatest poets of the 19th century. After a youth spent playing truant, after trying his hand at so many trades, he became one of the most prolific figures of the early 19th century. Participating in the lively evenings of Parisian cabarets, he was read aloud to music, and the pages of his songs were distributed by street singers. He was by turns humorous, mischievous, politically engaged (he was even elected deputy during the Second Republic), a staunch advocate of liberty, and he was often prosecuted for his writings. It is no wonder, under these circumstances, that his works were snapped up in bookstores. At his death, the greatest poets were present to accompany him to his final resting place at Père Lachaise Cemetery. The dust of oblivion slowly settled on his books with the passing of those who had loved him, and with the demise of those festive institutions that were the crypts, typical places of intellectual exchange in the 19th century. Unconventional singers like Jean-Louis Murat revived his texts not so long ago. Presented here in two volumes with its publisher's binding in perfect condition, this 1847 edition boasts 50 engravings by the best artists of the time. A few minor foxings typical of editions of this period on the paper, otherwise, in very fine condition.