Les Oeuvres de Monsieur Molière

MOLIèRE
Les œuvres de Monsieur Molière
Chez Denys Thierry, Claude Barbin et Pierre Trabouillet, Paris 1682, in-12 (9 x 16,5 cm), (24) 304 pp (4) et 416 pp (4) et 308 pp (4) et 296 pp (4) et 335 pp (erroneously numbered 535) (1) et 195 pp (5) et 261 pp (3) et 312 pp., 8 volumes, contemporary calf
The first complete collected edition, the first for some parts, and the first illustrated edition. The first edition of Dom Garcie de Navarre, L'Impromptu de Versailles, Dom Juan ou le Festin de Pierre, Les Amans magnifiques, La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas. With 30 copper-engraved figures by Jean Sauvé after Pierre Brissart, of which 21 hors texte and 9 included in the pagination.
Strictly contemporary brown calf, spine richly gilt in six compartments, a few tiny variations to tools, gilt roulettes to headpieces and edges of covers, all edges speckled red. Very discreet repairs.
First complete edition of the works of Molière, published by the actor Charles Varlet de La Grange, one of the closest companions of Molière and secretary of his troupe, and another of his friends, called Vinot. The publishers used, to make this edition, of the text of Molière's manuscripts themselves, more or less reviewed and corrected by him either for performances or for publication. Therefore, the text often differs slightly from the first separate editions and the collected edition of 1674...Despite this, it is this version that has most often served as the model for the numerous editions published to this very day (J. Le Petit, Bibliographie des principales éditions originales).
Ex-libris of the collection of C. de Chavigny in Orbais to each volume.
A rare copy in a contemporary binding.