BOSSUET (Jacques-Bénigne). Sermon for the Religious Professi - Lot 55

BOSSUET (Jacques-Bénigne). Sermon for the Religious Profession of Madame de La Vallière, Duchess of Vaujour. Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1676. Folio, paperback with a modern plain protective cover. A typographic reprint of one of Bossuet’s most famous sermons, delivered on the occasion of the religious profession of Louise de La Vallière, a former favorite of Louis XIV who became Sister Louise de la Miséricorde at the Carmelite convent on Rue Saint-Jacques. This text, which ranks among the most remarkable examples of the sacred eloquence of the Grand Siècle, powerfully illustrates the spirituality of conversion and the renunciation of the vanities of court life. This edition faithfully reproduces the original text published by the Royal Printing Office in 1676, with its characteristic layout and title in red and black. The figure of Madame de La Vallière, who withdrew from the world after having held a prominent position in the court of the Sun King, lends this sermon exceptional historical and moral significance. A fine copy preserved in a protective slipcase. The interior is fresh and well-printed.