8vo. 576pp. Contemporary gilt-tooled mottled sheep. Rubbed, some surface loss to upper board, small worm-holes to head of spine and lower joint. Marbled endpapers, nineteenth century inked ownership inscription pasted to FEP, recent bookplate of Roger Cortiolioni to recto of FFEP, scattered spotting.

A handsomely bound Royal almanac for the year 1774. Established in 1683 by printer and bookseller Laurent d’Houry in Paris, these hugely popular almanacs, issued annually, provided their readers with a calendar for the year, organised by month, accompanied by a compendium of useful information, including, inter alia, lists of members of the royal family, notable officers in the army, church hierarchies, and directories of diplomatic and administrative bodies.