François RABELAIS

Booklet of the "Rabelaisian menu" offered on "diemenche 26 de oiteuvre 1952" [Sunday, 26 October 1952] on the menu of the Parisian restaurant Au Mouton de Panurge, gastronomic headquarters of the Amis de Rabelais et de La Devinière, whose walls were decorated by Albert Dubout, who is also the author of the illustrations featured here. On the final page appear several facsimile signatures of distinguished regulars of the establishment. Our booklet is enhanced by a gift inscription from one of these signatories, Albert Schweitzer: "to Andrée [Eekman, his goddaughter, also the niece of his close friend Tata (Adèle Herrenschmidt)] and her dear husband [the painter and engraver Nicolas Eekman] / Albert Schweitzer," as well as four further autograph signatures by Michel de Bry, publisher of the booklet, by a certain "Devilly," and finally by two unidentified names.

Faint vertical fold to the centre of the booklet.

(our own translation)

Elzevirian "à la sphère" edition based on the first one printed in 1623, with the same features, including a red-and-black title page for the first volume and a black title page for the second. Brunet suggests it may have been printed in Brussels (IV, 1050).

Numerous headbands, culs-de-lampe, and initials.

Full dark green morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, with gilt fleurons and framed in blind, gilt date at foot. Covers with a Du Seuil-style double panel of blind-ruled borders, gilt fleurons at the corners of the inner panel, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, inner gilt dentelle, gilt edges, edges and spine-ends ruled in gilt.  Binding signed "Petit succede Simier" on front flyleaf. Minor tear to the title page of the second volume not affecting the text; a few very occasional spots of foxing.

Delightful edition of Rabelais' works, handsomely bound in full morocco in the Du Seuil style, signed by Petit, successor to Simier.

First-issue illustrated edition featuring 15 full-page plates and 100 in-text figures by Gustave Doré. This edition is considerably rarer than the well-known later Doré edition published by Garnier in folio format in 1873; moreover, the Garnier edition reused 98 illustrations from the Bry edition. Printed in two columns.
Twentieth-century half morocco binding with corners, in chocolate brown. Smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets. Brown calf title label. A good, fresh copy, with a few occasional scattered foxing.
"Cet ouvrage populaire est fort recherché aujourd'hui pour les puissantes compositions de Gustave Doré qui s'était fait la main pour son admirable illustration des Contes Drolatiques qui parut l'année suivante." Carteret (Le trésor du bibliophile romantique et moderne).

New edition. Title pages in red and black. Armillary sphere on the title of volume I, fleuron or cipher on the second volume. Wood engraving of the "Divine Bottle", Volume II, p.327.
Contemporary full brown calf binding. Decorated raised-band spine. Tawny morocco title-label, tawny calf volume label. One lack at head of volume 1. Scuffing to headcaps and raised bands. Overall rubbed. Some foxing. Good set overall.
These works contain: The Life of François Rabelais; Particulars of the life and customs of François Rabelais; Author's Prologue; I. Book of the life, deeds and heroic sayings of Gargantua; II. and III. Books of the heroic deeds and sayings of Pantagruel; Vol.II: IV. Book of the life, deeds, &c. of Pantagruel; V. Book of the Navigations of said Pantagruel, the Ringing Island, the Island of the Apedests, with the Oracle of the Divine Bacbuc & the word of the Bottle; Pantagrueline prognostication [chapters I-X]; Epistle of the Limousin Pantagruel; The Philosophical Cream; Two epistles to two old women of different customs; Alphabet of the author François.