Series of chivalry-novels, written originally in Spanish, by a number of authors, who remained anonymous. They met a tremendous success and were quickly translated into French and Italian; these translations became in their turn best-sellers. The first known Spanish edition was printed in 1519 and consisted of the first four books. The first known editions of the following books are, according to Brunet, I, Columns 207-214: for book 5, 1521; for book 6, 1526; for book 7, 1525; for book 8, 1526; for book 9, 1535; for book 10, 1532; for book 11, 1546 or 1551; for book 12, 1546. The French translation was started by Nicolas de Herberay, Seigneur des Essarts, who transposed the first 8 books. Book 9 was translated by Gilles Boileau and revised by Claude Colet. Books 10 and 11 were the work of J.G.P. (Jacques Gohorry, of Paris) and book 12 of G. Aubert de Poitiers. The 12 books of this French Amadis de Gaule do not coincide completely with the Spanish prototypes: the Spanish 6th and 8th books have not been translated; consequently, the Spanish 7th book became the French 6th, whilst the Spanish 9th, 10th and 11th books have been divided into the French 7th and 8th, 9th and 10th, and 11th and 12th books. (Cf. Brunet, I, Column 215). This French edition of the Douze livres d'Amadis de Gaule was later continued. The Spanish 12th book got also translated and became the French 13th book (first printed in 1571), whilst a number of French continuations, without known Spanish prototypes and perhaps written directly in French, brought ultimately the total number to 24 books (printed from 1574 on). Concerning the French editions of the first 12 books prior to Plantin's publication: Denys Ianot printed books 1-5 in folio from 1540 to 1544; at his death, his widow, Jeanne de Marnef, continued with books 6 and 7 (1545 and 1546); the firm was then taken over by Estienne Groulleau, who printed books 8 (1548), 9 (1553), 10 (1552), 11 (1554), 12 (1556). The same firm published also editions in 8⁰ (1548: books 1-2; 1550: books 1-2; 1551-1552: 9 and 10; 1555: 1-2; 1557: 9 and 10; 1560: 1-2, 11-12) and an edition in 16mo (1557: books 1-8). Ianot and his successors were the printers but some copies have title-pages with the names of booksellers who took part of the edition (Vincent Sertenas, Jean Longis, Robert le Manguier). Elaborate bibliographical descriptions in H. Vaganay, 'Amadis en Français. Essai de bibliographie' in La Bibliofilia (Florence), 5 (1903-1904), 6 (1904-1905), 7 (1905-1906), and 'Les editions in-octavo de l'Amadis en Français. Essai de bibliographie' in Revue Hispanique (New York, Paris), 75, 1929. Cf. also by the same author, 'Les traductions françaises de la douzième partie de l'Amadis espagnol' in Revue hispanique (New York, Paris), 72, 1928, pages 541-591.