Casimir Delavigne: Nouvelles Messeniennes. Bruxelles 1822. First edition, in 8vo, contemporary boards, text with light scattered spotting, overall in very good condition Nouvelles Messéniennes is a cornerstone of French Philhellenism and one of the most commercially successful volumes of poetry in the 19th century.The title is a classical reference. In ancient history, the Messenians were an oppressed people who fought for centuries to regain their independence from Sparta.The Greek Revolution created a massive popular support to the Greek cause.expressing in very different fields. Delavigne sold over 25,000 copies,an astronomical number for 1822.Delavigne was an ardent Philhellene who wrote in a Neoclassical style,clear and elegant, but with a Romantic frame. This made his work accessible to everyone, from old-school academics to young radicals.His poems boosted the Greek cause in France