Samuel RICHARDSON

First octavo edition in Letourneur's new translation, illustrated with 21 fine figures by Chodowiecki and a frontispiece portrait by Pujos on strong paper. The figures printed before letters. The English original was published in 1748.
Contemporary full porphyry sheep bindings. Smooth spines very richly decorated with ornamental compartments, Greek fillets at head and tail, fillets between compartments. Red morocco title label, volume label with urn and garland in black morocco. Leather of upper joint of volume I narrowly split at head; slight lack at tail. Small leather lack at head of volume II, revealing the board; lacks to joint at tail; lack to lower joint at head. Volume III...

First edition of the French translation by Abbé Prévost together with the rare supplement published in 1762 which contains Diderot's Éloge de Richardson in first edition. The illustration comprises 21 fine figures, the first 13 by Eisen and the last 8 by Pasquier. Each volume contains two parts with separate title pages, except for the supplement volume which contains, in addition to Diderot's essay, the parts of the work that had been cut by Prévost. The first complete English edition dates from 1748.
Contemporary full marbled brown calf bindings. Smooth spines elegantly decorated. Red morocco title labels and tan morocco volume labels (only volume VII of the supplement published in...

New edition. Translation by Abbé Prevost, with his introduction on the translation.
Full glazed purple calf bindings. Smooth spines decorated in the grotesque style. Red morocco title labels and beige morocco volume labels. Headcap of volume 4 worn down, with lack to joint at head. 9 corners bumped. Overall rubbed. Cut on upper board of volume 1. Half-title of volume III lacking. Good copy.
"Richardson was the inventor of bourgeois tragedy [...] He invented this novel where art consists in neglecting all the precepts of art, where the accumulation of details foreign to the action, where the repetition of the same scenes and the same feelings, produce more effect than precision...

First edition of the French translation by Jules Janin.
Binders full glossy red calf, back with four nerves set with ornate golden dotted double gilded nets and gilded boxes decorated with golden typographical reasons, two split bits and restored heads and feet, wheels on golden headdresses, supervision of a wide gold lace and a lace cold stamped on the boards, gilded with gold initials hit the centers of plates, nets gilded on the cuts, framing a golden lace on contreplats, guards and contreplats paper to the bowl, gilt edges, upper corners very lightly bumped, beautiful bindings then signed Lebrun.
Signed autograph of her dear Jules Janin Massol, "... I ask you to keep...

New edition, illustrated with 32 figures by Punt and a title vignette repeated on all 4 volumes. Title pages in red and black. This appears to be the first edition to be fully illustrated, as previous editions presented only four frontispieces, however it should be noted that the figures bear the date 1742. The mention of third edition refers only to Dutch editions and is therefore not significant. Translation by Abbé Prévost and Aubert de la Chesnaye des Bois.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title and volume labels. Head of volume I split at head. A lack at head of volume II. A lack to the upper joint at foot of volume I. Tailpiece...

New edition. Translated by Abbé Prévost, with his introduction.
Full marbled glazed calf binding, spine with raised bands decorated. One tear to joint at headcap.
"Richardson était l'inventeur de la tragédie bourgeoise [...] Il a inventé ce roman où l'art consiste à négliger tous les préceptes de l'art, où l'accumulation de détails étrangers à l'action, où la répétition des mêmes scènes et des mêmes sentiments, produisent plus d'effet que la précision, le goût, la justesse et l'ordre n'en ont jamais produit" (Richardson was the inventor of bourgeois tragedy [...] He invented this novel where art consists in neglecting all the precepts of art, where the accumulation of details...

First edition of the French translation by Jules Janin.
Binders full glossy red calf, back with four nerves set with ornate golden dotted double gilded nets and gilded boxes decorated with golden typographical reasons, two split bits and restored heads and feet, wheels on golden headdresses, supervision of a wide gold lace and a lace cold stamped on the boards, gilded with gold initials hit the centers of plates, nets gilded on the cuts, framing a golden lace on contreplats, guards and contreplats paper to the bowl, gilt edges, upper corners very lightly bumped, beautiful bindings then signed Lebrun.
Signed autograph of her dear Jules Janin Massol, "... I ask you to keep...