On the second leaf is the following dedicatory epistle:—
Geofroy Tory de Bourges to his most debonair lord, François de Vallois, Daulphin de France, doth say and proffer most humble greeting.
My lord, while translating this little book, I have oftentimes reflected to whom of all my good friends I should the sooner dedicate it, or whether I should dedicate it (as I have heretofore done with certain other books which I have composed and translated into the French tongue) to all studious and genuine lovers of excellent reading and worthy pastime. But in fine, knowing thy virtuous nature, likewise the mirror of all goodness and perfect nobility wherein thou dost abundantly excel, and art ever disposed for every blessed and goodly enterprise, I have considered that before all other living men, of what state soever they may be, it is to thy glorious lordship that I ought and am in duty bounden to consecrate it, since it is thou under whom the public, not of France alone, but of all Christendom, has its hope of living hereafter in all felicity. I dedicate it to thee, not forgetting that thou hast thy noble father the King, who, as Philip of Macedon did of yore to his son Alexander, doth set before thee noble and goodly instruction and examples of upright living; but also to the end that thou mayst by times amuse thyself and read the excellent tales and teachings which are marshalled herein as in a well-chosen library; and also that, following thy noble and generous example, the studiously inclined may, by reading the same, worthily profit thereby. Thou mayst find herein many excellent passages, which will sometimes help to comfort thee, and will be in some degree the means whereby thou and thy Realm, with the grace of God, wilt ever prosper more and more.
Paris, this XIIII day of June, M. D. XXXII.
On the verso of the last leaf: 'The printing of this present book was finished Saturday the XV day of June, M. D. XXXII, by maistre Geofroy Tory of Bourges, bookseller and king's printer, living in Paris, opposite the church of La Magdeleine, at the sign of the Pot Casse.' [Here the Pot Cassé, no. 9.]
I have seen two copies of this book, one in M. Didot's library, the other in M. Alkan's.
Another edition was published at Lyon, in 1534, in 16mo, by Guillaume Boulle (or Boullé, for the name, in accordance with the custom of the time, has no accent on the e). This is undoubtedly the one mentioned by Duverdier[240] as having been printed at Paris, in octavo, in 1530, by Guillaume Boullé. In this statement there are as many errors as there are words. Guillaume Boullé's edition was not printed in Paris, it was not an octavo, and it cannot be dated 1530, as the first edition did not appear until 1532. Unfortunately La Caille did not take the trouble to verify Duverdier's statement, and he makes Guillaume Boullé a bookseller-printer of Paris.[241] Lottin, in his 'Catalogue des Libraries et Imprimeurs de Paris,'[242] has not failed to copy La Caille, and to mention, under the year 1530, a Guillaume Boullé, bookseller and printer in Paris, side by side with Jean Boullé, bookseller. Was this Jean, whom La Caille calls simply Boulle, and whom he places in 1543, a kinsman of Guillaume? I cannot answer. However that may be, here is a full description of the edition of the 'Politiques' published by the latter. It is a 16mo volume containing 8 leaves of front matter and 104 of text. On the title-page, which is embellished by a roughly executed border, are these words:—
'Politiques ou Civiles Institutions pour bien regir la Chose publ., iadis composees en grec par Plutarche, et despuys translatees en francoys par maistre Geofroy Tory, et dediees par ledict translateur a tres illustre prince et plein de bon espoir en toute heureuse vertu, Francoys de Valloys, Daulphin de France.
'Disputation de Phavorin, philosophe, nouvellement y a este adioustee. Item chapitre demonstrant combien sont destatz de la Chose publ.
'On les vend a Lyon, en la rue Merciere, a la boutique de Guillaume Boulle, libraire, a la fleur de lys d'or.—Avec privilege. 1534.'
On the verso of the title-page is an engraving representing Justice, with this inscription: 'Justitia in sese virtutes continet omnes.'
On the following leaf is the dedication to the Dauphin.