LA FONTAINE, Jean de.
La Fontaine's Fables. Now first translated from the French; whit [sic] Elegant Engraved Figures. By Robert Thomson.
Paris: [G. Doyen] "at all the booksellers," n.d. [c. 1820.]
4 vols., 8vo (208 × 130 mm), pp. [iv], 32, 105, [3]; [iv], 22, 133 [97-104 present in duplicate], [5]; [iv], 143, [5]; [iv], 128, includes half-titles, 4 engraved frontispieces by Perdoux, each captioned in English, numerous ornamental tailpieces. Uncut in the original orange paper wrappers, printed paper spine labels, the volume numbers given in manuscript. Slightly dusty, but an excellently-preserved unsophisticated copy.
A very rare English edition and an interesting example of opportunistic publishing. This English La Fontaine was first printed by Brochot in 1805 and by Chenu in 1806, apparently both with and without illustrations (probably 16 plates). This edition uses the sheets of one of those editions (wtih their copious decorative tailpieces) and adds new titles on different paper and obviously different typography. The advertised "Elegant Engraved Figures" consist of 4 plates from the earlier edition, each marked "vol. 2" at the head bound as a frontispiece to each volume. This copy is as issued, with the original printed labels.
This edition not found in COPAC or CCFr.
£800.00
US$1590.32*
* Given as a guide only. Based on an exchange rate of £1 = US$1.987896 for the day 5 July 2008 but liable to fluctuate.
5 July 2008