Claude was the youngest of three sons of Thierry Cauchon, seigneur de Maupas, Capitaine du Roi de Reims, and Adrienne de Bossut-Longueval. He and his brother Pierre became secular ecclesiastics, while their elder brother, Nicolas, inherited the family properties, and their sisters, Anne and Barbe made advantageous marriages, the former to René de Mourcy, sieur de Puisbouilland, Gouverneur de Metz, and the latter to Symphorien de Durfort, seigneur de Duras, becoming a maid of honour to the wife of François I, Eléonore d’Autriche. The Bossut were a noble family of Laonnais and in 1535 Pierre Cauchon was granted an ecclesiastical benefice there, becoming abbé commendataire of the Benedictine Abbaye Saint-Jean de Laon, drawing a portion of the revenue of the monastery, without fulfilling any daily responsibilities, or even residing at the monastery. In 1539, presumably through his father’s influence, Claude was nominated abbé commendataire of the Augustinian Abbaye Saint-Denis de Reims.3 Claude held that benefice until his death, and when in 1566 his brother Pierre abjured the Catholic faith and resigned the title, he became also abbé commendataire of Saint-Jean de Laon.4
Woodcut displaying Claude Cauchon de Maupas’ motto and monogram, from Jean Maugin, Le Premier Livre du Nouveau Tristan (Paris 1554), f.2
The woodcut headpiece depicts a reclining nude male (Eros?), with attributes of broken wings, quiver, arrow, and bow. He leans against a plinth emblazoned by a griffin, the heraldic charge of the Cauchon de Maupas family; across the landscape background are four escutcheons suspended from trees, displaying respectively the motto “Tandem Qviesco”, a type of Bourchier knot, a blazing sun, and a monogram of interlaced Ms. The author, Jean Maugin dit L’Angevin, subscribes his dedication “A Laon, en vostre maison de saint Ian, ce xx. Iuin. 1554”. Two years later, Maugin dedicated a new book, Le Parangon de Vertu pour l’institution de tous princes et grans seigneurs (Paris: Étienne Groulleau, 1556), “A mon Seigneur, Monsieur de Maupas, Abé de S. Ian de laon, Conseiller & aumónier du Roy”, subscribing it “A Laon, en vostre maison de S. Ian, ce dixiesme iour d’Auril. 1556”.5 Both works are prefaced by odes, addressed respectively “A Monsieur de Maupas” and “Au susdit seigneur de S. Ian, par son Mesme Angeuin”.
Three previous publication had been aimed at the Abbé de Saint-Jean de Laon. In 1546, Gilles d’Aurigny had published Le Tuteur d’Amour auquel est comprise la fortune de l’Innocent en amours (Paris: Arnoul L’Angelier), a volume of verse, addressed “À Monseigneur, Monsieur de Maupas, abbé de sainct Iehan de Laon”.6 In 1548, Claude Colet had published L’Oraison de Mars aux dames de la court (Paris: Chrétien Wechel), containing “Epigrammes & aultres œuvres” preceded by an epistle “A Monsieur de Maupas Abbé de S. Ian de laon … Paris, ce xxii. Feb. 1548”, ”en mémoire de la bonne amitié que de vostre grace me portez”. And in 1551, Claude Gruguet had dedicated his translation of Les Dialogues de Messire Speron Sperone (Paris: Vincent Sertenas), “A Monseigneur, Monsieur de Maupas, Abbé De Saint Ian de Laon, & Aumosnier Ordinaire du Roy”.
Who was the patron of Maugin, D’Aurigny, Colet and Gruguet? Pierre Cauchon, abbé commendataire of Saint-Jean de Laon from 1535 until his apostasy in 1566, or his younger brother Claude? The five dedicatory addresses cited above are not explicit, however there is reason to suppose the patron was Claude. An epistle in François Habert’s Le Temple de chastete (Paris: Michel Fezandat, 1549) is precisely addressed “A tres noble et scientifique personne Claude de Maupas abbe de Lan en Lannoys”, and identifies Maupas as “mon compagnon d’escole”. Habert’s book was dedicated to Jean II Brinon, the Maecenas of poets and scholars, and Claude perhaps participated in the elite gatherings organised by Brinon in Paris and on his estate at Médan.7 It may not be a coincidence that the “Quiesco tandem” bindings resemble Brinon’s, in featuring a monogram encircled by a motto.
The list below of volumes decorated with the “Quiesco Tandem” motto does not contradict Habert’s description of Claude as a “scientifique personne”. Several are on scientific and medical subjects: Agricola’s text on mining and smelting metals; Dorsten’s herbal; Ptolemy’s Geography, and Lykosthenes’ account of strange phenomena and creatures from foreign lands; Cardano’s treatise on medical controversies, and Wolf’s compendium on both gynaecology and obstetrics. The other volumes are the collection of fragments of early Latin poetry, edited by Robert and Henri Estienne; Muret’s philological-humanist reflections (this is reported to have an inscription on its title-page: “A l’Abbé de Sainct Jean de Laon”); Turnèbe’s emendations of classical authors; Panvinio’s genealogy of the Roman emperors; Paradin’s work on the genealogy and armorial insignia of the kings of France; Hugues Sureau du Rosier’s Latin translation of Martin Du Bellay’s Memoirs; an edition of Melanchthon’s Orationes postremae; Ulloa’s life of the Emperor Charles V; and a manuscript of the “Le plaisant jeu du dodechedron de fortune”, which answers questions about fortune, love, and death. No presentation copies of the five books dedicated to the Abbé de Saint Jean de Laon can be traced.
Toward the end of his life Claude retired to the Abbaye Saint-Denis de Reims, and in 1598 was interred in the Chapelle de la Transfiguration, suggesting that late in life he had “professed” and become a member of that community.8 Claude very likely divided his library between his two benefices, as five volumes in our list have remained in Reims, and two in Laon.
1. Le Premier livre du nouveau Tristan, prince de Leonnais, chevalier de la Table ronde, et d’Yseulte, princesse d’Yrlande, royne de Cornouaille, fait francoys, par Jan Maugin (Paris: Widow of Maurice de La Porte, 1554). The dedication was retained in three subsequent editions: Paris, Gabriel Buon, 1567; Lyon, Benoist Rigaud, 1577; Paris, Nicolas Bonfons, 1586.
2. E.P. Goldschmidt, “Reliures faites pour Claude Cauchon de Maupas, Abbé de Laon” in Humanisme et Renaissance 4 (1937), pp.305-306.
3. Claude’s progress into the benefice commenced with a papal bull of Paul III confirming his nomination as abbé (14 April 1539). He seems to have held the benefice jointly with Cardinal Jean du Bellay until 15 November 1546, when Bellay resigned in his favour (Gallia Christiana, in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa … Tomus nonus: De Provincia Remensi (Paris 1751), p.296 no. XXXII).
4. Gallia Christiana, in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa … Tomus nonus: De Provincia Remensi (Paris 1751), p.599 nos. XXXV-XXVI. Pierre is designated “35e abbé, 3e commendataire” and Claude “36e abbé, 4e commendataire, (1566-1596)”; see Charles Taiée, “L’Abbaye de Saint-Jean (602-1789): ses transformations, ses péripéties, sa décadence” in Bulletin de la Société Académique de Laon 21 (1874-1875), pp.175-309 (pp.250, 253-255) [link].
5. Reissued with the same dedication: Lyon, Guillaume Rouillé, 1556.
6. The volume also contains a “Huictiesme epistre, à monsieur de sainct Iehan de Laon” and “Treziesme epistre, à Monsieur de sainct Iehan, son Maistre”, a “Dixain presente le premier iour de l’an, à monsieur de sainct Iehan, son maistre” and “Dixain presenté pour estrenes, à monsieur de sainct Iehan de Laon, son maistre”. Reprinted with the same dedication at Lyon: Jean de Tournes, 1547; Paris: Widow of Guillaume Le Bret, 1553.
7. Enea Balmas, Un poeta del Rinascimento francese: Étienne Jodelle: la sua vita, il suo tempo (Florence 1962), p.155, places Claude “al centro di un cenacolo di scrittori, di poeti e di amatori di cose letterarie”. Cf. Marie Madeleine Fontaine, “Le carnet d’adresses de François Habert indications sur l’itinéraire d’un poète à la fin du règne de François Ier” in Bibliothèque d’Humanisme et Renaissance 73 (2011), pp.497-556.
8. Gallia Christiana, op. cit., p.296 no. XXXII, describes Claude as “monachus professus S. Dionysii in Francia” [link].
(1) Georg Agricola, De re metallica & de animantibus subterraneis (Basel: Hieronymus Froben & Nikolaus Episcopius, 1556)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● “Jésuites” (1843 catalogue)
● Reims, Bibliothèque, Réserve G 47 (opac Rel. au monograme [link])
literature
Le Catalogue des imprimés de la Bibliothèque de Reims (Reims 1843), I, no. 819 (“la reliure porte sur le plat un fleuron curieux entourant six V accolés et entrelacés de bas en haut avec cette devise: Quiesco tandem” [link])
(2) Girolamo Cardano, Contradicentium medicorum libri duo (Paris: Jacques Macé, 1564)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Swann Galleries, Medical books, chiefly from the collection of Dennis L. Bernardini, M.D., New York, 3 November 2006, lot 42 (“contemporary calf with gilt supra-libros on covers (cartouche enclosing interlacing M and W with motto Tandem Quiesco”) [RBH 2092-42]
● Krown & Spellman, Beverly Hills
● Heritage Auctions, New York, 8-9 April 2015, lot 45176 [sic] (“From the Krown & Spellman Collection”) [unsold; link]
(3) Theodor Dorsten, Botanicon, continens herbarum, aliorumque simplicium, quorum usus in medicinis est (Frankfurt am Main: Christian Egenolff, [1540])
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Sotheby & Co., A fine collection of rare books and drawings on natural history and travel, London, 4-5 November 1963, lot 106 (“bound c. 1560 for Claude Cauchon de Maupas, Abbot of St. Jean-de-Laon, contemporary Parisian calf, device with his motto ‘Quiesco Tandem’ on sides, binding very worn, spine defective and partly repaired … Only three other bindings for Claude Cauchon de Maupas are known: one illustrated by Goldschmidt, Gothic and Renaissance Bookbindings, p.304, pl. 92, another in the Royal Library, Brussels, and a third at Canterbury.”) [RBH LINNAEUS-106; all lots in this sale (1-437) offered as “The Property of a Lady”]
● Maggs Bros, London - bought in sale (£14); their Catalogue 1040: Ancient, mediaeval and modern, 22 (London [1983?]), item 53 (£600; “French calf c. 1560 with monogram and motto ‘Quiesco Tandem’ of Claude Cochon de Maupas, Abbot of St. Jean-de-Laon on sides (rebacked, edges repaired … lacks 8 preliminary leaves following title”) [repeats Sotheby’s reference to three known bindings, the “third at Canterbury” - no such volume traced in “Canterbury Cathedral Library: Provenance names: Books printed before 1801”, link]
(4) Martin Du Bellay, Commentariorum de rebus Gallicis, libri decem. Quibus Francisci primi, Galliae regis, res gestas, varios casus, et bella quae illi cum potentis. Principibus et populis intercesserunt, complexus est. Ex Gallico Latini facti ab hugone suraeo (Frankfurt am Main: Andreas Wechel, 1574)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Reims, Bibliothèque, Réserve G 158 (opac Rel. avec devise Quiesco Sandeur [sic] [link])
(5) Robert Estienne, Fragmenta poetarum veterum latinorum a Roberto Stephano olim congesta, nunc autem ab Henrico Stephano digesta ([Geneva]: Henri II Estienne, 1564)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● William Salloch, Ossining, NY; their Catalogue No. 259: The Renaissance and the 16th century (Ossining 1969), item 79 (“attractive contemporary calf binding of which only a very few specimens are known. The book was bound for Claude Cauchon de Maupas, who was the Abbot of St. Jean-de-Laon: in an ornamental medallion, the words ‘Quiesco Tandem’ and a design of interleaved lines are placed.”) [RBH 259-79]
(6) Konrad Lykosthenes, Prodigiorum ac ostentorum chronicon (Basel: Heinrich Petri, [1557])
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Reims, Bibliothèque municipale, Réserve MM 58 (opac Rel. anc. dt plus. sign. d’initiales variées [link])
literature
Henri Jadart, Le Bibliophiles Rémois leurs ex-libris et fers de reliure suivis de ceux de la Bibliothèque de Reims (Reims 1894), p.178 (“Le livre Prodigiorum ac ostentorum chronicon … porte sur les plats des encadrements de fillets, et au milieu un cartouche très délicat, offrant au centre un monogramme entouré de la devise: Tandem Quiesco. Cette devise est signalée, sans attribution du nom, dans le Dictionnaire des Devises de A. Chassant et H. Tausin, t. Ier, 1878, p.326”) [link]
(7) Michael Maius, Orationes postremae scriptae a reverendo viro Philippo Melanthone, proximis annis ante obitum (Wittenberg: Johann Krafft, 1565)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Abbaye Saint Martin, Laon, “Ex dono ms: “Communitatis Sancti Martini Laudun.” (opac)
● Laon, Bibliothèque (Médiathèque Suzanne-Martinet), XVI A BL 7 (opac Rel. veau brun, doré filet et médaillon avec la devise “Quiesco Tandem” et un “W” et “M” entrelacés (plats, dos), traces de liens, tranches dorées, 16e s. [link])
(8) Philipp Melanchthon, Epistolae selectiores aliquot Philippi Melanthonis editae Casparo Peucero (Wittenberg: Johann Krafft, 1565)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Ricardo Heredia y Livermore, conde de Benahavís (1831-1896)
● Henri Bernier & Henri Leclerc, Catalogue de livres modernes et de livres anciens provenant de la bibliothèque de feu M. José-Maria de Heredia, Deuxième partie, Paris, 25-27 June 1906, lot 219 (“veau br., fil. dor., milieu orné, tr. dor. (Rel. anc.) Dans un médaillon au milieu des plats, ces mots quiesco tandem entourant un chiffre formé de deux M” [link])
(9) Marc-Antoine Muret, Variarum lectionum libri VIII (Venice: Giordano Ziletti, 1559)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Bernard Quaritch, London; their Catalogue 93: A Catalogue of fifteen hundred books remarkable for the beauty or the age of their bindings; or as bearing indications of former ownership by great book-collectors and famous historical personages (London 1888), item 73 (£2 2s; “fine copy in the original Venetian calf (neatly rebacked), gilt edges; bound for Muretus himself, with his monogram of two interlaced MM and the motto ‘Tandem quiesco’ … with notes in the handwriting of Muretus, and his autograph inscription on the title ‘A l’Abbé de Sainct Jean de Laon’”) [link]
(10) Onofrio Panvinio, Onuphrii. Panvinii. Veronensis. Fratris. Eremitae. Augustiniani Romanorum. Principum et. Eorum. Quorum. Maxima. In. Italia. Imperia. Fverunt. Libri. IIII eiusdem de. Comitiis. Imperatoriis. Liber In quo universa imperatorum eligendorum ratio, ab augusto caesare usque ad imperatorem Carolum v saepius immutata, explicatur (Basel: Heinrich Petri, 1558)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Reims, Bibliothèque, Réserve G 161 (opac Rel. à la devise Quiesco Sandeur [sic] [link])
(11) Claude Paradin, Alliances généalogiques des rois et princes de Gavle (Lyon: Jean de Tournes, 1561)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Allg.G.fol.427 (opac, link)
literature
Ernst Kyriss, “Französische Supralibros-Bände im Ausland” in Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens 4 (1963) pp.741-767 (p.747 no. 23: “Deckelmitte Monogramm von 14 mm Höhe mit Umschrift ‘QVIESCO-TANDEM’, Rücken Monogramm von 8 mm Höhe”)
(12) Claudius Ptolemaeus, Omnia quae extant opera, praeter Geographiam (Basel: Heinrich Petri, 1551)
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● “Ex-libris ms daté barré” (CCFr)
● Laon, Bibliothèque (Médiathèque Suzanne-Martinet), XVI C SA 14 (opac Rel. basane, à 6 nerfs, doré: filet, fleuron, médaillon, chiffre “MW3” et devise “Tandem quiesco”; dos: chiffre et titre, 17e s [link]; CCFr Rel. 16è s., veau brun, dos à 6 nerfs, doré: double encadrement de filets, fleurons aux angles de l’encadrement intérieur, milieu ovale avec “Tandem Quiesco” (plats) et monogramme (plats et dos) [link])
(13) Adam Reißner, Jerusalem, vetustissima illa et celeberrima totius mundi civitas, ex sacris literis et approbatis historicis ad unguem descripta (Frankfurt am Main: Sigmund Feyerabend, 1563)
provenance
● Claude Cauchon de Maupas, supralibros
● Arras, Médiathèque de l’Abbaye Saint-Vaast, Réserve C2748 (opac, link; CCFr Rel. veau; Fer à M. W. Tandem Quiesco [link])
(14) Adrien Turnèbe, Adversariorum, tomus primus duodecim libros continens (Paris: Gabriel Buon, 1564)
literature
Ernest Langlois, “Notices des manuscrits français et provençaux de Rome antérieurs au XVIe siècle” in Notices et extraits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque nationale et autres bibliothèques, Tome trente-troisième, Deuxième partie (Paris 1889), pp.147-149 (“Parchemin, om 119 sur om 090, XVIe siècle, 81 feuillets. Les lettrines n’ont pas été faites, pas plus que la miniature qui devait se trouver en tête du fol. … Sur les plats extérieurs de la reliure, n’est pas grand cas, il n’en faut que rire, la devise: Quiesco tandem” [link])