P. G. Le Mercier

First edition, attributed to Bougeant according to Barbier (IV, 1091). Title page in red and black.
Full speckled sheep binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated. Tan morocco title label. One wormhole at foot. Signs of rubbing. Good copy. La Romancie is the country of novels. The prince who has been raised on reading novels since his youngest age is in search of this utopian country which he finally discovers underground. All the things described, trees, rocks, are contaminated by what is found in novels, thus the rocks are tender having listened to so many complaints from heroes... The marvelous journey is in fact a critique of very fine intelligence on the novelistic writing...

Complete first edition in six volumes, illustrated with decorative headpieces. 

Contemporary bindings in full marbled brown calf, spines with six raised bands decorated with red morocco title and volume labels, fleurons and double gilt frame fillets, triple fillets stamped in blind framing the boards, double gilt fillets on the leading edges, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, all edges marbled. Title pages in red and black. Headcaps worn, title labels of volumes 1, 3, 4 and 6 and volume labels of volumes 4, 5 and 6 missing, some lacks to the compartments, leather split at the joint of the first volume, joints of other volumes often slightly cracked at head or foot, boards and...