Classics - Authors from Antiquity

First edition, one of 7 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies, this one no. 1, specially printed for Jean Cocteau's mother.
Contemporary vellum Bradel binding by Dupré, gilt date to foot of spine, brown shagreen title label, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved. Light worming, principally affecting the margins of some leaves.
A moving and exceptional autograph inscription signed and dated by Jean Cocteau to his mother, in Latin, quoting a verse of Virgils Bucolics: “Incipe, parve puer : cui non risere parentes, nec deus hunc mensa, dea nec dignita cubili est. / Virgile. / Jean”, which in English is: “Realise this, child...

The rare first edition. Printed in two columns. Vignette of a sphere on the title page. 14 in-text figures and diagrams and numerous tables, notably a calendar of the position of the stars and zodiac figures, tables of latitudes and longitudes.

Contemporary limp vellum binding with flaps. Smooth spine unlettered. Traces of ties. Split to upper joint at head over two centimeters. Various stains. Lacking the first endleaf before the title. Lower right corner of title page missing. Brown stain to lower right corner from leaf 14 to leaf 32.

Commentary by Georg Henisch on the treatise of the sphere by Proclus, the celebrated Neo-Platonic philosopher of the...

First edition, richly illustrated, of the abridged version of the famous commentaries by the Chevalier de Folard, established by the Count of Chabot. 113 copperplate engravings - sometimes folding (Volume I: 51, volume 2: 22 and volume 3: 40) - representing techniques, battle scenes and war machines of Antiquity; including 4 maps and a plan of Cremona.

Full speckled blonde calf binding. Spine with five raised bands decorated with red morocco title and volume labels and gilt compartments and fleurons; gilt dentelles at foot. All edges red. Two head caps worn, the third slightly rubbed. Some wormholes on the spine of the second volume. Two corners slightly bumped. Numerous...

New edition, the first of which appears to have been published by the same publisher in 1599.

Contemporary full calf binding. Attractively ornamented spine with raised bands, featuring a central tool of two interlaced Cs. Red morocco title label. Edges gilt. A one-centimeter lack to the last compartment, and split with small lack to foot headcap, first blank endpaper partly detached. Rubbing. Foxing.

Edition established by Henri Estienne the younger and published by Paul Estienne, his son, who practiced his printing trade from 1599 to 1526. This bilingual edition includes, besides the works of Pindar, the Greek poets: Anacreon, Sappho...

Elzevier edition of these tragedies by Seneca with the highly esteemed notes by the English grammarian Thomas Farnaby (or Farnabie). The first edition with Farnaby's notes is that of London, 1613. Brunet V, 286. Illustrated with an engraved title-frontispiece.

Contemporary full navy blue morocco binding, raised spine decorated in grotesque style (rolls composed of lozenges within circles), sawtooth fillet border and wave roll border on covers, gilt edges, interior fillet.

Very handsome antique morocco binding.

New edition. Although we have found no trace of this Basel edition, the first edition was published in Venice by Aldus in 1527 (with a different collation). Not held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France and absent from French catalogues. Oxford holds an edition with the same date. English catalogues mention several copies at different dates. Printed in italic type.
Fine contemporary German binding on pigskin with clasps in perfect working order. Spine with 3 raised bands, unlettered, with handwritten paper lettering piece, boards stamped in blind with decorative rolls in frames (leafy designs with medallions representing Erasmus of Rotterdam and Philip of Milan, Martin of Paris...

First edition of the famous translation by Abraham Loesher, the best and most faithful edition according to Clavier. The editio princeps of this text dates from 1516, printed by the Aldine Press in Venice, but according to Brunet (IV, 454), although rare, it was made from a poor manuscript and was executed carelessly, which gives full importance to the edition we present. Publication date in colophon. Printer's device on verso of final leaf, with the inscription Arion. Historiated initials.
Contemporary full calf binding. Spine with raised bands restored at the end of the 19th century, with fleurons and roulettes on the bands, red morocco title label. Corners restored. On the upper...