247-[MASSON DE BLAMONT (Charles-François-Philibert)]. Mémoires secrets sur la Russie, et particulièrement sur la fin du règne de Catherine II et sur celui de Paul Ier. New original edition, with portraits. Paris, Levrault, Schoell et Comp. 1804, 4 vols. in-8, XXXVIII-(2)-344 pp, 240-(4) pp, (4)-VIII-316-(2) and (4)-IX-328-(13)-V-II pp, 3 portr. half green morocco with corners, smooth spine decorated, lemon edges (period binding). This new edition of these precious reminiscences of Catherine II's Russia seems even rarer than the first. The reference to the Paris edition seems fictitious, as the printing suggests and as confirmed by the address at the end of volume IV, Coblence, of the Imprimerie de Lassaulx. The author's name appears in volume IV, and it is enlarged with three frontispiece portraits (volumes 1-3): Catherine II, Paul I and Souwarov. Aide-de-camp to Count Soltykow, secretary to Grand Duke Alexander (the future Tsar), the author, a native of Montbéliard (1762-1807), was also director of studies for the corps of noble artillery cadets in St. Petersburg. In other words, he was well acquainted with the Russian court, its strange customs and expedient procedures. In fact, he was one of the first expellees to inaugurate the rise of the whimsical Paul I, and was exiled in 1797. A fine copy. Ex-libris Esternod. Some brown spots.