The French novelist, poet, and dramatist Paul Scarron (1610–60) is remembered for his satirical and burlesque style. His best-known work is Le roman comique of 1657, a picaresque novel satirising the lives of itinerant actors. He also wrote a number of short stories and burlesque tales with racy plots, love intrigues and comic misunderstandings, usually involving clergymen, nobles, and coquettish women.

This edition comprises three of Scarron’s Nouvelles libertines (Libertine Stories) – L’adultère innocent (The Innocent Adulterer), La précaution inutile (The Unnecessary Precaution), and Les hypocrites (The Hypocrites), with a predictable cast of beautiful gentlewomen and jealous suitors. The eight Lemagny illustrations are one of the few instances where he was able to experiment with colour.

The Lemagny-illustrated Scarron was published by Albert Guillot in a boxed limited numbered edition of 1,950 copies.