Anon.. [Erotica]Mylord Arsouille, Ou Les bamboches D’un Gentleman.. Bordelopoli

8vo. Bound in contemporary green quarter morocco over marbled boards. Minor edgewear and scuffing, a little rubbed to head of spine. Very good. Internally clean, marbled endpapers. 110pp. + 1pp which appears the misplaced title page of another volume entitled “Bibliographie Des Ouvrages Consacres aux Femmes et L’Amour.” The verso of the final leaf of text is a “Placement des Gravures” index, although the volume sadly neither contains engravings, nor appears to ever have contained them. Obviously published in Paris in the last quarter of the 19th century (I say obviously, I’m basically working on the principle that anything stating its provenance as “Bordelopolis” originated in Paris at the height of the literary erotic renaissance. Mylord Arsouille (originally a bon viveur and prankster by the name of Charles de La Battut in early 19th century Paris) apparently developed into a kind of Carnival mainstay, a sort of human trope, like a rather more libertine version of the Trinidadian Mas “Bookman”...or something. This little volume has evidently constructed a series of “Sprees” that the titular character would undoubtedly get up to given half a chance and a willing partner. Rather more esoteric than the usual fare. Scarce.
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