Galatée. Estelle. Numa Pompilius

First edition of Numa (1786) and of Estelle (1784), published at the same time as the 12mo edition. Statement of third edition for Galatée, and first 8vo edition. Estelle bears the imprint: De l'imprimerie de Monsieur. 1788. One frontispiece by Queverdo for Numa Pompilius. The illustrations by Moreau le Jeune announced on the verso of the title page never appeared, but Queverdo's illustrations would be found in the second edition. Printed on Vellum.
Contemporary full glazed blonde calf bindings signed Bozerian at foot of the Numa volume. Smooth spine decorated with the cipher repeated 4 times of Prince Gabriel Petrovitch Gagarine, fillets and rolls. 2 title-labels for each volume in black morocco. Greek key border frame on boards. Roll on edges and interior. Traces of rubbing to headcaps, borders, joints and corners. Very handsome copies bound by Bozérian with the cipher of one of the most illustrious and ancient Russian families.
Prince Gavrila Petrovitch Gagarine (1745 - 1808) resided two years in Paris with Prince A.B. Kourakine and Count N.P. Chérémetev, upon his return to Russia, he was successively appointed Procurator to the Senate, Chamberlain, then Privy Counsellor and Senator. He was also Minister of Commerce, and member of the Council of the Empire. A great scholar and francophile, Prince Gabriel Gagarine is also known for his involvement in Freemasonry of which he presided over forty Lodges, and for which he wrote several works. Also a knowledgeable Theologian, Gabriel was the friend of the famous Metropolitan of Moscow, Platon. His son, Prince Pavel (Paul) Gavrilovitch Gagarine (1777 - 1850) Commander of the Order of Malta, married Princess Anne Petrovna Lopoukhine (°1777 + 1805), favorite of Emperor Paul I. (cf. Mille ans d'Histoire de la famille des Princes Gagarine, by Miguël Cardon de Lichtbuer)

Numa is a novel inspired by the life of the second legendary king of Rome, Numa Pompilius is written in an epic style reminiscent of certain 18th-century translations of Homer. Galatée is a paraphrase of Cervantes' eponymous novel; the work contains a preface on Cervantes' works. Estelle attempts to bring back into fashion the 17th-century pastoral novel. The three works show a Florian well-versed in 17th-century literature, who imitates its style and spirit, Florian constantly blending a poetic style with a narrative style.
Handsome and rare copy with the cipher of Prince and Freemason Gavrila Pétrovitch Gagarine.