L'Histoire de la Belle Hélaine de Constantinople,: Mére de Saint-Martin de Tours en Touraine et de Saint-Brice.

Caen: Chez P. Chalopin,, [c.1790s]. A very rare imprint of this tale, sewn and unbound as issued. A cheap production for a popular readership - the woodcut title vignette is noticeably crude - it is not surprising that other copies have not survived; only the copy in the BNF is located by Worldcat. The story is a version of the 14th-century epic poem of the wanderings of Helen of Constantinople, much condensed from the 15,000 verses of the original into 47 pages of prose. The story is one of incest, a surprisingly common theme in mediaeval literature: Helen, daughter of Antoine, Emperor of Constantinople, flees her father's advances following the death of her mother, instead escaping to marry Henry, King of England. Henry's mother conspires to kill her, but Helen escapes again, losing her arm in the process. Antoine meanwhile repents, is baptized, and is forgiven by Helen, who is reunited with her arm (which is divinely re-attached) and all the family. First published within a few decades of the introduction of printing to France, the story was published in numerous versions and formats up to the 19th century. It was a favourite of the chapbook-style "Bibliothèque bleue" publishers and their street hawkers, as was the case for this edition - although the book is undated, P. Chalopin published various similar books towards the end of the 18th century. The story's ongoing popularity for almost five centuries reflects, no doubt, the salaciousness of the tale and the mystique of Constantinople, all tempered with Christian moralizing. Duodecimo (164 x 99 mm). Two signatures, sewn as issued. Lightly toned, minor peripheral nicking and creasing from handling, yet still in excellent condition. Jean Wauquelin & Marie-Claude de Crécy, La Belle Hélène de Constantinople: mise en prose d'une chanson de geste, 2002. Also see Roussel, La Belle Hélène de Constantinople: chanson de geste du XIVe siècle, 1995.