La Defense du Droit de Marie Therese d'Austriche, Reine de France..

1674. Paris: Chez Sebastien Mabre-Cramoisy, 1674. Paris: Chez Sebastien Mabre-Cramoisy, 1674. Legal Foundations of the War of Devolution Feuillade, Georges d'Aubusson de la [1612-1697]. La Defense du Droit de Marie Therese d'Austriche, Reine de France a la Succession des Couronnes d'Espagne. Paris: Chez Sebastien Mabre-Cramoisy, 1674. [xxiv], 164, [1] pp. 12mo. (5-1/2" x 3"). Contemporary sheep treated to resemble tree-calf, gilt spine with raised bands, speckled edges. Some rubbing to extremities with minor wear to spine ends, corners bumped. Toning to text, faint dampstaining and spotting to a few leaves, internally clean. $750. * First edition. The author was the Archbishop of Embrun, later Prince-Archbishop of Metz. Mazarin appointed him ambassador to Venice in 1659. Louis XIV appointed him ambassador to Spain in 1667 to pursue French claims to the Spanish Netherlands in the name of Maria Theresa of Austria (1638-1683), the Spanish Infanta and Queen Consort of Louis XIV. These claims were tenuous and constructed on intricate legal foundations. French jurists argued that the Spanish Netherlands should not go to the still underage heir to the Spanish throne, Charles II of Spain (1661-1700), because he was the issue of the second marriage of Philip IV. Maria Theresa, on the other hand, was a result of his first marriage and the lands thereby 'devolved' to her and, of course, Louis XIV. France's claims led to the War of Devolution (1667-68). Feuillade defends France's claims with an argument grounded in the "fundamental laws of Spain, the examples of past centuries and the solemn judgments of the Royal Council of Castile." A second edition was published in 1699. Both copies are scarce, especially in North America. OCLC locates no copies in North American law libraries. British Museum Catalogue (Compact Edition) 1:1145.