Pirated edition of a pirate's memoirs

Duguay-Trouin, René. Mémoires de monsieur Du Guay-Trouin, lieutenant-général des armées navales [...]. Nouvelle edition.

€ 850.00

Rare later edition, apparently surreptitious, of the memoirs of the famous Breton corsair and adventurer of Saint-Malo, whose brilliant privateering career earned him the rank of "Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King". They were first published in 1730 and then again, with substantial changes, in 1740, four years after the author's death. "These are the memoirs of one of the most illustrious French seamen and corsairs. He inflicted many defeats on English and Dutch warships and in 1711 captured Rio de Janeiro from the Portuguese" (Cox II, 441).

Handwritten ink ownership to half-title; a few short tears to the plates' folds, but well preserved. The illustrations show ships engaged in naval battles; the plan shows the bay and city of Rio de Janeiro.