Illustrated Books (16th - 18th Centuries)

Reprint of the 1709 Regensburg edition by the heirs of Mathias Kerner, published under a false imprint (actually printed in Rouen). This copy illustrated with 10 plates (numerous portraits), including 2 folding plates (the procession of the League and the estates of the League) and one in-text illustration. Title pages printed in red and black. Frontispiece repeated in all 3 volumes. Contemporary bindings in full polished calf. Spines with raised bands, richly decorated. Red morocco lettering-pieces and brown morocco volume numbering-pieces. Headcap of volume III restored. Split at head of upper joint of volume I. Paper browned to varying degrees throughout. A handsome, decorative copy. 18th-century armorial bookplate of Louise de Vivier.

Reprint of the early edition, augmented for the first time with Jean Godefroy's notes. It incorporates all previous additions, including those from Duchat's edition.

Among the foundational texts of this late 16th-century collection, the Catholicon is attributed to Pierre le Roy, the verses to Jean Passerat and Pierre Rapin, and the harangues to J. Gillot. This gathering of distinguished and talented men of letters confers considerable literary value upon the pamphlet (the Satire enjoyed successful editions into the 19th century). "At once a comedy, a pamphlet, and a coup d'état, the Satyre Ménippée paved Henry IV's way to the throne" (P. Larousse). The collection of historical, polemical, satirical, and literary texts assembled in the 18th-century editions constitutes the richest testimony to the history of the League.

First edition of this important work on cryptogams, illustrated with 36 hand-coloured plates (cf. Pritzel 3345).

Contemporary half calf with vellum corners, flat spine decorated with gilt floral rolls, partly rubbed, joints worn, lower cap trimmed with a small loss, black morocco title label, blue paper-covered boards.

Endpapers soiled, a few small spots of foxing.

Justin Girod-Chantrans, writer and naturalist [Besançon, 1750–1841], was one of the founders of the Société d’Agriculture du Doubs.

He was elected a member of the legislative body in 1802 (cf. Hoefer).

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with 34 plates, including one in colour.

See Garrison & Morton, 2465 (for the original German edition).

Contemporary full marbled cream paper boards, smooth spine with some rubbing and small losses, decorative motif of three acorns stamped in the centre of the covers, modern bookplate pasted on the verso of the front board.

Some light foxing.

First French translation of Abhandlung über die Saamen- und Infusionsthierchen, und über die Erzeugung, nebst mikroskopischen Beobachtungen des Saamens der Thiere in verschiedenen Infusionen (1778).

The biologist Wilhelm Friedich von Gleichen-Russwurm (1717–1783) was the first to develop the staining of bacteria (with carmine and indigo) to facilitate their microscopic observation.

The ‘Kehl edition’, the most renowned edition of Voltaire's works, illustrated and published on deluxe paper. It was printed on five different types of paper, and only the deluxe editions, such as ours on laid paper, feature engravings. These are naturally the most sought-after and rarest copies.

Binding in full painted sheep decorated with a “honeycomb” motif, smooth spine tooled with gilt fleurons, fillets and compartments, light beige calf lettering and volume pieces, gilt chain-roll border on covers, marbled endpapers, gilt roll on edges, all edges marbled, contemporary binding. Two volumes (nos. 50 and 70) with slight variations in gilt tools on the spines and with orange morocco lettering pieces, edges and covers treated somewhat differently. General condition of the 70 volumes: bindings with light rubbing to corners, gilt a little dulled, occasional foxing, a few wormholes and old restorations, not affecting the text. 28 volumes (vols. 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 24, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 43, 48, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70) with cracked joints at the ends, and 20 volumes (vols. 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 33, 34, 37, 42, 46, 49, 53, 56, 57, 60, 65, 66, 68, 70) with damaged caps.

Two editions were published at the same time. Our copy belongs to the prestigious in-8 edition on large paper published in 70 volumes (the other edition being in-12 format in 92 volumes). It is richly illustrated with 125 etched plates:

- There are 17 portraits, including 3 of Voltaire: a frontispiece portrait by N. de Largillière engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu; one drawn from Houdon's bust by Moreau le Jeune and engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu; and one allegorical portrait by Louis Croutelle after Moreau le Jeune, belonging to the second series of illustrations of Voltaire's works executed by Moreau for the publisher Renouard. The 14 other portraits include an allegorical frontispiece of Frédéric-Guillaume, Prince of Prussia, depicted in profile in a medallion by Dambrun after Moreau le Jeune; a portrait of Henry IV by Pourbus engraved by Tardieu; one of Charles VII engraved after the original in the King's Cabinet by Mavieri; another of Agnès Sorel drawn by Moreau the Younger after the original in the King's Cabinet and engraved by Mavieri; one of Joan of Arc engraved by Beisson; followed by the Count of Dunois engraved after the original in the King's Cabinet by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Louis XIV drawn by Moreau Le Jeune after C. Le Brun engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Charles XII engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu after the original in the King's Cabinet; one of Pierre I engraved by P. G. Langlois after a painting by L. Caravaque; one of Madame du Châtelet after Marie Anne Loir and engraved by P. G. Langlois; one of the Count of Argental after J. Defraine and engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Frédéric II of Prussia painted from life by Van Loo and engraved by P. G. Langlois; one of Catherine II of Russia engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; and one of d'Alembert after De La Tour engraved by N. F. Maviez.

- 93 engravings by Moreau le Jeune, including 44 figures for le Théâtre (engraved by Lingée, Simonet, de Launay, Trière, Halbou, Duclos, Romanet, Dambrun, de Longueil, Delignon, Le Mire, Le Veau), 10 for la Henriade (engraved by Masquelier, Delignon, Dambrun, Patas, Gutemberg, Helman, Simonet, Duclos, Romanet), 21 for la Pucelle (engraved by Simonet, Dambrun, Halbou, Baquoy, Trière, Delignon, de Longueil, Croutelle and Duclos), 4 for the Contes (in verse, engraved by Langlois, Duclos, Delignon and Le Veau) and 14 for the Romans (engraved by Trière, Duclos, de Longueil, Dambrun, Baquoy, Delignon, Simonet, Langlois and Halbou). 

- 14 scientific plates in volume 31, illustrating the experiments of Newton, Descartes and Leibniz.

- 1 battle plan in volume 24 about the Histoire de l'Empire de Russie sous Pierre le Grand.

According to Bengesco (IV, no. 2142), our copy is missing a portrait of Louis XV in volume 22, as well as a portrait of Voltaire by De La Tour (replaced here in the last volume by an allegorical portrait by Louis Croutelle after Moreau le Jeune). This copy includes all the additional portraits, with the exception of two illustrations that are almost always missing: a portrait of Vertot and an engraving of the Œuvres.

New edition after the 1562 original. Rare. Brunet II, 789. Italic typeface edition illustrated with about twenty curious figures in and outside the text, notably associating objects with letters. One copy at Manchester library, we found nothing in France and Germany.

Contemporary full vellum binding, smooth spine with handwritten title lengthwise in pen. One tear on the spine (1 cm). Endpapers restored, the title page has been reinforced with two small pieces of paper on the verso.

Lodovico Dolce (1508-1568), Venetian man of letters and humanist, worked on editions of Italian classical texts (Dante, Petrarch...) in collaboration with the publisher Ferrari and renewed the genre which bears his mark. He translated the Metamorphoses into Italian and wrote several dialogues including one on painting featuring Vasari and Aretino, and another on the properties of colors. He wrote notably theatrical pieces. The general theme of the present dialogue is occultism, astrology.

Celebrated edition entirely engraved both images and text, richly illustrated with 6 engraved titles, a frontispiece and an engraved half-title for volume I, together with 243 figures, 473 vignettes and tail-pieces engraved by Fessard. The illustration of the first three volumes is the work of Monnet, and in the last three by Fessard after Bardin, Bidauld, Caresme, Desrais, Houel, Kobell, Le Clerc, Leprince, Loutherbourg, and Meyer. The text is entirely engraved by Montulay and Drouet within decorative borders. 
Contemporary red morocco bindings, flat spines gilt in a lattice design with floral gilttooling, beige morocco volume and title labels, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, gilt fillet on the edges, gilt roll-tooled borders on the pastedowns, blue paper endleaves and doublures, gilt dentelle turn-ins, all edges gilt. Joints expertly restored.

A handsome copy, elegantly bound in contemporary red morocco with richly gilt-tooled spines, of this edition undertaken by Etienne Fessard, dedicated to the heirs to the kingdom or"enfants de France", the Duke of Berry, the Count of Provence, and the Count of Artois.

Very rare first edition illustrated at the end with 4 folding plates (cf Quérard VII, 190).

Modern binding in half mottled sheep with small vellum corners, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets, red morocco title-piece, marbled paper boards.

The author was a lawyer and architect in Lunéville.

Chapters on fire, the causes of fires, stoves and chimneys, floors, partitions, staircases, roofing, etc.

Pleasant copy.

New edition, adorned with a portrait of the author by Daullé, three headpieces by de Sève engraved by Juste Chevillet, twelve plates engraved by Jacques Aliamet, Jean-Jacques Flipart, Noël Le Mire, Louis-Simon Lempereur, Dominique Sornique, and Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu, and thirteen vignettes and sixty tail-pieces, all by de Sève engraved by Jean-Charles Baquoy, Jean-Jacques Flipart, and Louis Legrand.

A superb copy of the first luxury edition of Racine, among the most sought-after, bound in the most sumptuous red morocco.

Contemporary full red morocco, spine with five raised bands and gilt compartments, triple gilt fillet border, corner fleurons, yellow morocco lettering pieces and volume numbers, double gilt fillets on the boards, marbled endpapers, double gilt fillet on the edges, gilt dentelle turn-ins, gilt edges. Occasional light foxing, mostly on the early leaves of the volumes; some browned pages; skilfully restored corners and joints; a few scratches.

Fourth edition after the original of 1577 published in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau and the edition by Abel L'Angelier printed in 1584. It is identical to the 1612 edition by Artus Thomas d'Embry, the first to contain engravings and to offer the four final texts. It is illustrated with a large folding plan of Constantinople, a double plate captioned « Portraict de l'Armée de l'Empereur Turc rangée en Bataille », 17 plates for the prophetic tableaux, 62 full-page engravings representing the different inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire (men and women) and 27 plates of portraits of Turkish personalities. Repeated title-frontispiece. Title pages in red and black.
Contemporary full brown calf bindings, slightly dissimilar, spines with six raised bands decorated with gilt fleurons and compartments. One headcap and certain corners restored. Some worming without loss of letters to the first volume, one joint cracked at foot of volume I, last leaf of table in volume I remounted with some paper losses filled without affecting the text, otherwise a good copy.
This important collective work is composed as follows : 
Volume I :
Histoire des Turcs by Chalcondyle Athénien, translated by Thomas Artus and Blaise de Vigenère
 
Volume II :
continuation and end of l'Histoire des Turcs by François-Eudes Mezeray
Histoire générale du Serrail by Michel Baudier
Les Annales des Sultans
Plusieurs descriptions des accoustremens des Turcs
Tableaux prophétiques des Empereurs Sévère et Léon by Artus Thomas
Illustrations de Blaise de Vigenère bourbonnois, sur l'Histoire de Chalcondile athénien

Uncommon first edition, illustrated with historiated initials and 7 plates (see Brunet I, 710).
Not listed in Atabey, Blackmer or Hage Chahine.

Contemporary full marbled tan calf, spine with five raised bands richly gilt with floral motifs, joints and spine rubbed with traces of restoration, cherry morocco label, covers framed in triple blind fillet, margins of covers rubbed, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges.

Joints rubbed, corners worn, some foxing.

Rare copy of this historical and numismatic monograph devoted to the small kingdom of Osroene (or Edessa), which long served as a buffer state between the Persian and Roman empires.

Born in Königsberg, Gottlieb Siegfried Bayer (1694–1738) taught Greek and Latin humanities at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences from 1726 to 1737.

Contemporary ownership inscription of Louis de Boisses at foot of title page.

First edition of the French translation by Antoine Gilbert Griffet de La Baume of the first two volumes of "Asiatick researches, or, Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal for enquiring into the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences and literature of Asia, Calcutta, 1788–1790" (cf. Chadenat 4934).

The first volume, Meteorological Journal kept by Colonel T. D. Pearse from 1785 to 1786, is illustrated with 33 full-page plates; the second, Meteorological Journal kept in Calcutta by Henry Trail from 1785 to 1786, with 11 plates and 2 tables, including one large folding plate.

Modern bindings in black half morocco, flat spines ruled with double gilt fillets, marbled paper boards, hand-marbled endpapers.

Some light foxing, a few restorations to corners (upper or lower) of the second volume.

This remarkable typographical edition features several plates and tables printed in Arabic or Bengali characters, the latter being the first use of this language type in France. Among the essays are: vol. 1: Dissertation on the Spelling of Oriental Words – Account of a Meeting with the Tichou Lama – Report on a Journey to Tibet – Observations on the Sykhs – On Hindu Literature – Conversation about the City of Gondar and the Sources of the Nile – On Ordeal among the Hindus; vol. 2: Discourse on the Arabs, Tartars, and Persians – On the Hebrew Origin of the Afghans – On Hindu Chronology – On the Indian Game of Chess – Introduction of Arabic Words into the Persian Language – On Hindu Astronomical Calculations – Description of the Kingdom of Nepal, etc.

A nephew of the historian and theologian Henri Griffet, Antoine Gilbert Griffet de La Baume (Moulins, 1756 – Paris, 1805) settled in Paris in 1776, where he was briefly employed at the Ministry of the Interior. He went on to translate numerous works from English and German, and contributed to various periodicals including the Bulletin de Littérature, La Décade, Journal Encyclopédique, Mercure de France, and Censeur universel anglais (cf. Hoefer).

First edition, illustrated with 3 hors-texte plates (cf. Rodrigues 1357. Borba de Moraes I, 381. See INED 2496 for the 1774 edition).

The plates depict: Brama, god of the Indians – View of a pagoda tower – Snake charmer.

Contemporary-style binding in marbled tawny calf over vellum-tipped corners, spine with five raised bands, ruled in gilt, brown calf lettering-piece, marbled paper-covered boards, red sprinkled edges, modern binding.

Coromandel Coast, European trading posts, military strongholds, Indian religion, medicine, anatomy, caste system, Indian manners, dress, dwellings, gardens, food (and temperance), wedding rituals, funerals, Indian morals, fauna, flora, etc.

Pages 3 to 21 are devoted to Brazil. The author made a stop at Bourbon Island (pp. 25 to 27).

Provenance: from the Breitenbauch library, with its armorial bookplate pasted on the endpaper.

A pleasing copy.

Collective edition, partly original. It is illustrated with 3 frontispiece titles and 23 figures by François Chauveau. The three frontispiece titles dated 1660, the title page of the second volume with the date 1664, the other two title pages dated 1660. In the second volume, the privilege is also dated 1664, while the other two volumes have the privilege dated 1660. The second volume is therefore the 1664 reprint, identical in every respect to the 1660 edition, with the exception of the collation of the preliminary pieces. The three discourses as well as the examinations of each piece appear for the first time.

Binding in full 20th-century chocolate morocco signed Alix at the bottom of the endpapers. Spine with raised bands decorated with 4 grotesque panels, author, title, volume number, and date in gold. Large and rich interior border. Triple fillet border on the boards. Gilt edges. Minimal traces of rubbing. Volumes of great purity, with paper of beautiful freshness. Slipcases edged with chocolate morocco covered with old laid paper.

Magnificent copy.

First French edition published simultaneously with the octavo edition (more common), by the same publisher. Illustrated with a folding frontispiece, a large folding map of the Cape and 15 plates, some folding. All plates have been bound at the end of volumes I and II.

Contemporary full speckled brown sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label, black morocco volume labels. Double blind fillet to boards. Lacks to joints at head of volume I. Upper joint narrowly split at head and tail of tome I. In tome II upper joint rubbed. Corners restored with leather strips. At the end of the second volume, some leaves browned, otherwise scattered light foxing. Plate 2 of tome 2 poorly folded. Some plates are erroneously captioned tome 3, which would suggest that the octavo edition preceded the quarto edition, the latter being longer to produce.

The rare first edition, illustrated with 100 in-text figures of medals, each showing obverse and reverse. Of the three parts that were to appear successively, only this one was published, Le Menestrier's death having put an end to this work. The work was not even put on sale; the author only distributed a few copies around him. It is therefore very rare to come across this edition. The 1642 edition entitled Medales illustrées des anciens Empereurs et Impératrices de Rome is the same work to which the publisher Paillot added the Médailles des impératrices from a manuscript he had purchased from the heirs. Jean-Baptiste Le Menestrier, antiquarian, should not be confused with the heraldist Claude François Menestrier, who died in 1704.
Half blonde calf binding ca 1820. Smooth spine decorated with a fleuron and a long tool, fillets and roulettes. Navy blue calf title label. Surface abrasion and a small lack along the upper joint. 
Manuscript ownership inscription on title page: Mgr. de Beauveau, archevêque de Narbonne.
The book catalogs the medals of the emperors of Rome.

New edition, partially original as it is augmented with three new stories and the life of the author (previously published in 1744; before this date, editions included only 10 stories).
The false title of the second volume bears the title "Diverse Works," these two volumes, although sold separately, could be placed after the six-volume Don Quixote. The original title "Exemplary Novels" was used concurrently in other editions.
Translation by Abbé Martin de Chassonville. It is illustrated with a portrait of the author engraved by Gentot after Kent, and 13 plates, of which 12 are engraved by Aveline after Folkema, and one by Daudel. The engravings are charming and pleasing, with typical interiors (pharmacy, hospital...).
Full mottled calf bindings, smooth spines adorned with gilded fleurons, gilded rolls at the tails, grenadine morocco title pieces, brown morocco volume number pieces, triple gilded fillet borders on the covers enriched with gilded angular fleurons, gilded dentelles on the endpapers, all edges gilded, one bumped corner, some rubbing on the joints and covers, contemporary binding.

New edition illustrated with 52 unsigned plates, including 6 frontispieces. Volume V is a continuation of the history of Don Quixote, by the translator Filleau de Saint Martin. Volume VI written by the author Robert Challes. Title pages erroneously indicate 58 figures.
Brown full contemporary roan, stamped in gilt in between raised bands. Title page in red morocco. Small piece of leather lacking to upper part of Volume I, small loss to head of spine. In volume II, upper spine-end torn off and lower spine-end partly missing, some damage to lower cover. Volume III, damaged upper spine-end. Volume IV, lower spine-end missing. Volume V, upper spine-end missing. Volume VI, upper spine-end flattened. 6 corners dulled. Despite traces of use, a good, uniform set. Bright paper overall, with occasional foxing around title pages and some yellowed leaves.
At the end of the 17th century, publisher Claude Barbin tasked Filleau de Saint-Martin to issue a new translation of Don Quixote, as Oudin's first translation had become obsolete, archaic and too literal. Filleau de Saint-Martin's translation prevailed until the 19th century. Interestingly, the translator changed the story's ending, opting not to have his hero die, which allowed him to write a sequel to his adventures, followed by another sequel by Robert Challes; this edition can be regarded as a French appropriation of Cervantes' masterpiece.
 

French first edition illustrated with 3 repeated frontispieces, one portrait, 6 folding maps and 26 folding plates, being 36 figures in total. The complete set of illustrations is present whereas most copies lack one or several plates. The Spanish original dates from 1609. "This translation is more complete than the original: the third volume is entirely composed of the history of conquests made by the Dutch in this country". Chadenat, 739p.
Armorial copy with arms stamped on the upper covers and cipher on the lower covers. Unidentified.
Contemporary full brown speckled sheep binding. Spine with raised bands decorated with central fleuronné lozenges and roulettes on the bands. Brown sheep title label and volume labels. Arms and ciphers stamped on the covers with faded gilding or only traces of gilding. If the arms were gilt, the ciphers on the lower covers were stamped in blind. Traces of rubbing. 3 corners slightly bumped. Slight traces of dampstaining in upper margin on the first 3 leaves of volume I and the preliminary leaves, recurring sporadically on some leaves. Same on the title of volume 2 and some leaves and plates. Same in volume III, on the frontispiece, the endleaves, and appearing sporadically on some leaves and plates then recurring again, etc. Some foxing and browned pages. 3 plates have small paper patches on verso filling tears. Nibbling on the upper cover of volume II, and the lower cover of volume III.
Good armorial copy.
Archipelago of 632 islands in Indonesia, these Moluccan islands where spices were found very early attracted the covetousness of Europeans. This is one of the most important works for the history of the Philippine Islands, with precious documents on the navigators Drake and Magellan.
"Although this work is, for the most part, purely historical, one can nevertheless gather quite precious information on the physical state of the Moluccan Islands, on their productions, on indigenous customs, at the time of conquest". Boucher de la Richarderie, V, 184p.

Chez Théodore Le Gras, à Paris 1728, 12° (9,5x17cm), (2 p.) xvij (7 p.) 346 pp.; (2 p.) ij 376 pp.; (2 p.) ij 387 pp.; (6 p.) 392 pp.; (6 p.) 404 pp., 5 volumes bound.
First edition of this famous description of West Africa.
78 full-page engraved plates:
- volume 1: 5 maps, 2 plates and 1 folding plan
- volume 2: 6 maps, 17 plates and 4 folding plans
- volume 3: 2 maps and 13 plates
- volume 4: 5 maps, 8 plates and 3 folding plans
- volume 5: 3 maps and 9 plates
First edition of this famous description of West Africa. Illustrated with 78 full-page engraved plates.
Contemporary beige calf, spine elaborately gilt, 19th century red leather title and volume pieces, all red edges. Joints and spine-ends very skillfully restored. An old strip of white paper hiding the name of a former owner on each volume.
Based on the memoirs of André Brue (director of the Senegal Royal Company), this study contains interesting details on commercial companies in Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Sierra Leone, customs of the inhabitants, religious beliefs, natural history, etc. Many passages concern the slave trade.
“Jean-Baptiste Labat (1663-1738), more commonly known as Father Labat, was a Dominican missionary, botanist, explorer, ethnographer, military man, landowner, engineer and writer.
A staunch defender of slavery, he played an important role in the sugar cane industry in the French West Indies. He is known for developing a type of brandy to cure fever, which after some improvements became rum.” (Museum of Art and History, Le Havre)

Second collective first edition, with continuous pagination, containing for the first time Phèdre, the Discours prononcé à l'Académie françoise à la réception de Messieurs de Corneille et de Bergeret and the Idylle sur la paix.(Brunet, IV, 1077). Work illustrated with 12 figures including 2 frontispieces, most signed by François Chauveau; the frontispiece of the first volume engraved by Le Brun. 
Edition shared between Barbin, Denys Thierry and Pierre Trabouillet.
Full midnight blue morocco binding from the late 19th century signed at the foot of the pastedown Thibaron-Joly (Former worker of Trautz, Thibaron partnered with the gilder Joly in 1874). Spine with raised bands decorated. Boards à la Du Seuil, executed with a central rectangle formed by a triple fillet, with fleurons in the corners followed by a frame of triple fillets. Rich decorative gilt board-edges. Edges gilt. Minimal traces of rubbing. A few rare leaves slightly more yellowed, otherwise, magnificent copy in a condition close to perfection. 
Blue sheepskin bookplate featuring a dolphin in a shield: Bibliothèque Génard. 
Rare collective edition after the first published in 1676 by Claude Barbin, important and sought after for the variants and additions it offers.

• Volume 1 : 2 fr. et 22 pl. (+1) - vij (1) 304 pp.
• Volume 2 : 2 fr. et 14 pl. - 312 pp. Page 147 mounted. Two small restorations to the lower margin of pages 266 and 267.
• Volume 3 : 2 fr. et 23 pl. - 304 pp. Lower part of p. 121 restored, probably during the binding process, with a different typeface on the last two lines of the text.
• Volume 4 : 2 fr. et 15 pl. (+1) - 293 pp. (3). Small hole to the last page (publisher's catalogue)

• Tome 1 : 2 fr. et 10 pl. - 344 pp. 2 title pages dated 1784 "chés la d.me Veuve Duchesne" + 1 title page Les Dangers de la ville. Restoration to the upper corner of p. 9.
• Tome 2 : 2 fr. et 4 pl. - 320 pp. (mal chif. 220). Title page of Les Dangers de la ville pasted over that of La Paysane pervertie 1784 "chés le libraire indiqué au frontispice de la I Partie du Paysan"
• Tome 3 : 2 fr. et 7 pl. - 320 pp. 2 versions of the title pages as described above. A restoration to the inner margin of p. 257.
• Tome 4 : 2 fr. et 9 pl. - 344 pp. ; 8 pp. ; (1) clxx-ccxliv (12) Also 2 versions also of the title page. The first page of the text of Dangers de la ville bound, with some skillful restorations.

The finest edition of this work, the original having appeared in 1756. It comprises 84 plates, 61 of which are folding, compared to only 40 in the original, engraved in intaglio by Moitte, Patte and Tardieu, depicting military costumes, plans and profiles, and troop formations. Published by Abbé Perau, this edition is augmented with a biography (134pp.) and several pieces (letters...), it is better organized and superbly printed in large type.
Contemporary full marbled and glazed calf binding. Decorated raised spine, head and tail rolls. Red morocco title label and volume label. Double gilt fillet frame on boards. One tear at tail. One lower corner cut on volume 1. Small lack at head of volume II. One corner bumped on volume II. One scratch on upper board of volume II. One plate protruding in volume I and 2 in volume II, caused by improper folding. Despite some minor defects, a very handsome copy.

New illustrated edition with 232 figures, principally by Borel. Volume XIV contains an additional suite by Moreau, a suite by Marillier and another anonymous suite. Copy on vellum paper, the figures on heavy vellum. At the end of the publisher's notice, a leaf with the price of works: the 20 volumes in-18, fine paper, in wrappers with 18 engravings...30Fr. The same with 212 engravings, in wrappers...60Fr. The same, 17 volumes, deluxe vellum paper, figures from first proofs...120Fr. The volumes may be purchased separately by works. While at Princeton University and the Royal Library of Denmark one finds only the edition in 20 volumes with 18 engravings, this copy proves more desirable in 17 volumes on vellum. According to the British Library copy, the edition which announced 212 engravings offered only 205, so the others were added.
Contemporary half Russia leather binding. Smooth spine decorated with 4 small concentric fleurons and roulettes. Red paper on boards imitating long-grained morocco. Some rubbing, notably to corners. Scattered foxing. Lacking the table for volume X. Some leaves protruding. Uncut copy.
Details of the collection: Vol. I-VII, L'ami des enfans et de l'adolescence. Vol. VIII, Le livre de famille, ou Entretiens familiers sur les connaissances les plus nécessaires à la jeunesse; Vol. IX-X, Bibliothèque des villages. Vol. XI, Introduction a la connoissance de la nature, imitée de l'anglois; Vol. XII-XIII, Choix de lectures pour les enfans, ou Recueil de contes, d'anecdotes et de traits de vertu, choisis des meilleurs auteurs. Vol. XIV, Idylles, romances, et autres poésies de Berquin; Vol. XV-XVI, Sandford et Merton, imité de l'anglois. Vol. XVII, Le petit Grandisson, imité du hollandois.
The author Berquin (1747-1791) specialized very early in children's literature, being indeed the first to have done so. His children's books enjoyed great popularity and were very frequently reprinted throughout the nineteenth century. English and German children of the late eighteenth century knew Berquin's work very well. The greater part of l'ami des enfants consists of short theatrical pieces (historical, moral, childish...), but one also finds numerous short tales and romances, letters, as well as a shipwreck narrative. Thus one counts in the general table of contents 106 entries. L'ami de l'adolescence also contains moral theatrical pieces, and other pieces more narrative or more clearly pedagogical; one should note La relation d'un naufrage sur l'île Royale, and le Système du monde mis à la portée de cet âge. Certain works are entirely devoted to instruction and pedagogy, such as L'introduction à la connaissance de la nature (notably through animal figures), or the Entretiens sur les connaissances... Moreover, it is not that Berquin was the first to extend this literature that is important, it is rather that one can situate at this period the introduction of childhood into our cultures, and Berquin is precisely an eloquent testimony to this. Furthermore, it was undoubtedly among the first times that one found so many children represented in illustration.