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Title-page: IDYLLES | DE BION | ET | DE MOSCHUS, | TRADUITES EN FRANÇAIS | Par J. B. Gail, Professeur de littéra- | ture grecque au collège de France. | Ouvrage orné de Figures dessinées par le Barbier. | DE L’IMPRIMERIE DE DIDOT JEUNE. | A PARIS, | Chez Gail, au Collège de France, place | Cambrai. | L’AN TROISIEME. || Small volume in-12mo, 14.7 x 10 cm, bound in tree calf with gilt ornamental border, flat spine with gilt lozenges in compartments, lacking upper label and half of the lower label, gilt dentelle inside, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Collation: 1st and last leaves blank, [1]-96, total 54 leaves and 9 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece. Pagination: [1-5] 6-106 [2] (notice), total 108 pages, ils. Illustrations: (1) Frontispiece bust portrait of Jean-Baptiste Gail in two states, one proof before letters signed Le Barbier del., — C. S. Gaucher inc. a. ƒ., the other in finished state lettered « J. B. Gail | Professeur de littérature grecque | au collège de France » signed Le Barbier del. — C. S. Gaucher incid. (2) Le tombeau d’Adonis in two states, the first unsigned, the second signed by Le Barbier and Gaucher in Greek Λε Βαρβιερ εγραφε — Γαυχερ εχαλχενε, with tissue guard. (3) Enlèvement d’Europe in two states, the first signed Baquoy fecit., the second Le Barbier inv. — Delignon Sculp. (4) Amour du fleuve Alphée pour la fontaine Aréthuse in two states, the first unsigned, the second signed Le Barbier inv. — Dambrun. (5) Daphnis et Naïs only in final state signed by Le Barbier and Gaucher in Greek Λε Βαρβιερ εγρφε — Γαυχερ εχαλχενε. (sic.) Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-DeRicci 151-2, attributes to 1895, in-18, Daphnis et Naïs without the proof state; Lewine 64, "very scarce, particularly that of the portrait, a fancy price". Contributors: Bion [Βίων] (fl. late 2nd century BCE, Phlossa near Smyrna) – author. Moschus [Μόσχος] (fl. mid 2nd century BCE, Syracuse) – author. Jean-Baptiste Gail (French, 1755 – 1829) – translator. Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier (French, 1738 – 1826) – artist. Charles-Étienne Gaucher (French, 1740 – 1804) – engraver. Jean-Louis Delignon (French, 1755 – 1820) – engraver. Jean Dambrun (1741 – 1808/14) – engraver. Pierre François Didot, Le Jeune (French, 1732 – 1795) – publisher. -
Quarter calf over marbled boards, 16 x 9 cm, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, gilt-lettered label, all margins red, two title-pages (one for each vol.), illustrated with engraved frontispiece by Antonio Baratti after Antonio Balestra; engraved portrait of John Milton by Antonio Baratti, 12 plates, one for each book, after “Piazzetta, Zucchi, Balestra, Tiepolo, and other Venetian artists”, unsigned; plate II signed ‘Antonio Barati scul.’ Title page: IL PARADISO | PERDUTO | POEMA INGLESE | DI GIOVANNI MILTON | TRADOTTO DAL SIG. | PAOLO ROLLI | Con le Annotazioni | DI G. ADDISON | E alcune Osservazioni critiche. | TOMO PRIMO (SECUNDO). | {publisher’s device} | IN PARIGI , MDCCLVIII. | — | A spese di Bartolommeo Occhi. | LIBRAJO VENETO. || Collation: *-**12 ***8 (dedication, vita), A-R12 (vol. 1) A-K12 L9 (vol.2); total 365 leaves plus 14 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece and portrait. Pagination: [i, ii] iii-lxiv 1-407 [408 blank], [2] 3-258; total 730 pages. Catalogue raisonné: Wickenheiser Collection 688 [LIB-2795.2021]. Though it states 228 pp., which does not seem right. “Scarce. Not in Coleridge”. Contributors: Milton, John (British, 1608 – 1674) – author. Joseph Addison (British, 1672 – 1719) – author / criticism Paolo Antonio Rolli (Italian, 1687 – 1765) – author / transaltion Bartolomeo Occhi (Italian, 1730 – 1781) – publisher. Antonio Baratti (Italian, 1724 – 1787) – engraver Antonio Balestra (Italian, 1666 – 1740) – artist. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Italian,1682/83 – 1754) – artist. Antonio Zucchi (Italian, 1726 – 1795) – artist. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696 – 1770) – artist. -
Hardcover volume, 17 x 11.3 cm, in-12, quarter orange cloth (percaline) over marbled boards, black morocco label with gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, text printed on laid paper, five plates on India paper (papier Chine). Title-page: LE | LIBERTIN | DE QUALITÉ | OU | MA CONVERSION | PAR | M. D. R. C. D. M. F. | (LE COMTE DE MIRABEAU) | Edition revue sur celle originale de 1783 | {fleuron} | LONDRES | – | 1783-1866 || Pagination: [4] (h.t., t.p.), [1] 2-200; total 204 pages plus 5 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece; 2 blank leaves at the front and 2 at the back, laid paper, watermarked Canson & Montgolfier. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I: A-653. Ref.: Illustrations were earlier published in Vie privée, libertine et scandaleuse de feu Honoré-Gabriel Riquetti Comte de Mirabeau, 1791, (see [LIB-2633.2021] Apollinaire, et al. L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque nationale, 1912 : № 795). M. D. R. C. D. M. F stands for Monsieur de Riqueti comte de Mirabeau Fis. Catalogue Poulet-Malassis & ses amis description: № 55. M. D. R. C. D. M. F. (le comte de Mirabeau). Le Libertin de qualité ou Ma conversion, édition revue sur celle de l’originale de 1783. Londres 1783-1866 [Christiaens, 1867]. In-12 de 2 .n.ch. et 200 pages, demi-percaline orange, pièce de titre, tête jaspée, tranches naturelles (reliure de l’époque). Illustré de 5 gravures originales, dont l’une en frontispice, qui reprennent celles de l’édition de Vie privée libertine et scandaleuse de feu Honoré-Gabriel-Riqueti, ci-devant comte de Mirabeau [...] de 1791. Contributors: Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti de Mirabeau (French, 1749 – 1791) – author. Alexis Christiaens (Belgian, d. 1880) – publisher. -
Softcover volume, 17.5 x 11 cm, in-12, brown wrappers without lettering, text printed on laid paper, six plates on India paper barbarously glued in, pp.: fep, [4] (h.t. t.p.), [1-3] 4-182, fep. Title-page (red and black): L’ENFANT | DU | BORDEL | OU | LES AVENTURES DE CHÉRUBIN | – | NOUVELLE ÉDITION | ORNÉE DE SIX GRAVURES SUR ACIER | {fleuron} | Sur l’imprimé de Paris MDCCC | LE MANS | A L’ENSEIGNE DES CITOYENS DU MAINE || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I: A-325; Pia 395: 222 pages (we have 182 as per Dutel), attributes publication to Poulet-Malassis, 1866. Catalogue Poulet-Malassis & ses amis description: № 82.[PIGAULT-LEBRUN]. L’Enfant du Bordel, ou Les Aventures de Chérubin, nouvelle édition, ornée de six gravures sur acier. Sur l’imprimé de Paris, MDCCC, Le Mans, à l’enseigne des citoyens du Maine. [A. Christiaens, 1875 ?]. In-12, broché. 2 .n.ch., 182 pages, 1 f. blanc, couverture muette en papier vieux orange. Illustré de 6 figures hors-texte sur acier. Bibliographie : G* 553 (40 frs), Dutel A-325. Contributors: Guillaume Charles Antoine Pigault de l'Espinoy [Pigault-Lebrun] (French, 1753 – 1835) – author. Alexis Christiaens (Belgian, d. 1880) – publisher. -
Hardcover volume, 18.2 x 11.8 cm, bound in quarter black polished calf with gilt lettering “cartonnage romantique” design to spine, marbled boards, matching marbled endpapers, blue margins. Title-page: SCÈNES | DE LA BOHÊME | PAR | HENRY MURGER | {publisher’s device ML} | PARIS | MICHEL LÉVY FRÈRES, LIBRAIRES-ÉDITEURS | RUE VIVIENNE, 2 bis. | 1851 || Half-title: ŒUVRES | D’HENRY MURGER || Advertisement: Chez le même Éditeurs. | BIBLIOTHEQUE CONTEMPORAINE | (page of text) || Collation: π2 (h.t/advert., t.p. / blank), 1-33 (17)12, χ6; total 212 leaves without ffls (3 front, 2 back). Pagination: [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] – t.p. / blank, [i] ii-xiii [xiv blank], [1] 2-406; total 424 pages. Scènes de la bohême, in later editions Scènes de la vie de bohème. Translations: Into English: LIB-2719.2021. Henri Murger. The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter. (Scènes de la vie de Bohême) / Translated from the French. — London: Vizetelly & Co., 1883. Into German: LIB-2686.2021. Henri Murger. Die Bohème : Szenen aus dem Pariser Künstlerleben. — Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1906. Into Russian: LIB-3182.2023. А. Мюрже. Сцены из жизни богемы / Пер. с франц. и прим. Е. А. Гунста; вст. ст. С. И. Великовского; художник Н. А. Кравченко. — М.: Художественная литература, 1963. Contributors: Murger, Henri [Henry] (French, 1822 – 1861) – author. -
Hardcover volume, 12mo, 125 x 85 mm, two parts in one, bound and gilded by Cuzin and Maillard, respectively, between 1876 and 1881, in crimson crushed morocco with raised bands and gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, gilt dentelle, signed 'Cuzin' to foot of front turn-in and 'Maillard dor.' to rear. Adorned with engraved frontispiece and 12 plates by Elluin after Borel. Text printed on a slightly bluish paper. Title-page: LE | MEURSIUS FRANÇOIS, | OU | ENTRETIENS GALANS | D'ALOYSIA. | ORNÉ | DE FIGURES. | — | TOME PREMIER (SECOND) | — | ✵ | A CYTHERE | — | M. DCC. LXXXII. || Collation: 12mo, π4 (2 blanks) A-Z6 χ1,+ π2 A-S6 (4 blanks) χ1, total 254 leaves; pagination: [8] [1] 2-277 [278 blank], [4] [1] 2-210 [8 blanks], total 508 pages, plus 13 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-de Ricci 240; Eros invaincu 17; Fekete 51; Nordmann (I) 91. Contributors: Nicolas Chorier (French, 1612 – 1692) – author. Antoine Borel (French, 1743 – 1810) – artist. François-Rolland Elluin (French, 1745 – c. 1822) – engraver. Hubert-Martin Cazin (French, 1724 – 1795) – publisher. Francisque Cuzin (French, 1836 – 1890) – bookbinder. Seller’s description: Erotica.- [Chorier (Nicolas)]Le Meursius François, ou Entretiens galans d'Aloysia, 2 parts in 1, half-title to each part, engraved frontispiece and 12 plates [by Elluin after Borel], handsomely bound in crimson crushed morocco by Cuzin, spine with gilt lettering and five raised bands, gilt tooled turn-ins by Maillard, signed 'Cuzin' to foot of front turn-in and 'Maillard dor.' to rear, marbled endpapers, g.e., fractional rubbing to extremities, an excellent copy, 12mo, Cythere [but Paris], [Cazin], 1782. -
Two volumes, 168 x 106 mm each, uniformly bound in faux mottled calf ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers. Vol. 1: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, both printed on laid paper watermarked “ARCHES A LA | MAIN”; ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: [1] 2-115 [116 blank], 3 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-I6 K4; total 60 leaves plus 16 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Vol. 2: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, no watermark, ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: 1-77 [78 blank], 2 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-F6 G3; total 41 leaves plus 24 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Dutel (I): A-1089, p. 325: in-8 (probably by size only, no formula suggested), pagination 115 and 77 as here, 2 frontispieces, 2 engraved titles dated 1873, “et 36 belles gravures de Binet”. Cohen-DeRicci: p. 734 bottom: in-12, no pagination, no formula. "Thérèse" was offered by a French seller user-75d14f4 on the online auction platform CATAWIKI in December 2021. The seller's description of this two-volume set was: "Re-edition, the date of which I was unable to determine. (London, no name, 1782) 2 duodecimo volumes of 115 and 77 pp., very lovely marbled sheepskin pastiche bindings, gilded triple fillets, adorned spines, black title labels. This classic of 18th-century clandestine erotica was written in 1748 by an author who has remained anonymous, attributed at the time to Montigny, which led to his internment in the Bastille. It is now attributed to the Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens. Edition illustrated with 37 very unrestrained figures, engraved in intaglio after Borel, unsigned." I should have paid more attention to the first phase, about the re-edition, but I didn't. After a few bidding rounds, I won the book when the hammer price was 2,200 Euros. On the 28th of December, 2021, I paid for this little beauty $2,760. The book arrived a few days later. The paper's quality and texture, the watermark, the absence of the platemark, and the lack of embossing on the back (text and plates) made me suspect it was a fake. The pages were absolutely flat to the touch! I established clear evidence of a high-resolution 'xerox' copy using Celestron Micro Capture Pro micro-photography. I wrote to the seller and the auction platform, explaining my doubts regarding its authenticity. To prove my point, I include a few micro photos of the "Thérèse" and some books printed at the end of the 18th century. I explained why I considered it a fake and requested a return/refund. After two months of email exchanges, the seller and the platform refused to pay me back. Today is the 2nd anniversary of the purchase. I still have the book. To celebrate my carelessness, I included it in my library to warn fellow book collectors about buying from an unknown dealer via certain online auction platforms. Ref.: Bamber Gascoigne. How to Identify Prints: A Complete Guide to Manual and Mechanical Processes from Woodcut to Ink. — Thames and Hudson, 1995.
Books used for comparison: [LIB-2743.2021] Restif de la Bretonne. Les parisiennes, ou XL caractères généraux pris dans les mœurs actuelles, propres à servir à l’instruction des personnes-du-sexe / 4 vol. — Neufchâtel, et Paris: Guillot, 1787. [LIB-3027.2022] [Héliodore d’Emèse]. Amours de Théagènes et Chariclée: Histoire Éthiopique / 2 vol. — Londres [i.e. Paris]: [s.n.], 1743. [LIB-3252.2023] [Nicolas Chorier.] Le Meursius françois, ou entretiens galans d’Aloysia, orné de figures. — Cythere [i.e. Paris: Cazin], 1782. Below is a Xerox copy for comparison.Thérèse philosophe, 1783.
Late 18th century books
