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Literature & Linguistics / English, French & German Literature

Luxuriously bound, illustrated bibliophile edition of the most popular didactic novel of 18th-century Europe, introducing revolutionary printing types in a revolutionary time

FÉNELON, François. Les aventures de Télémaque.
Paris, "l'imprimerie de Monsieur" [colophon below advertisement: Pierre François Didot le jeune], 1785. 2 volumes. Large 4to. With 97 plates, namely an engraved title-page by Montulay in vol. 1, 72 illustration plates engraved by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard after drawings by Charles Monnet and 24 engraved plates with summaries of the "books" in decorative frames. With an elaborate armorial device (incorporating the French royal coat-of-arms) on the title-page of each volume. Contemporary gold-tooled red morocco. [3], [1 blank], [4], 309, [3 blank]; [3], [1 blank], 297, [1 blank], [2] pp. Full description
€ 12,500
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A famous Rococo poem by the most successful and typical representative
of a literary Rococo movement. A highlight of early colour-printing

GESSNER, Salomon. Mort d'Abel, Poëme. Traduit par Hubert.
Paris, chez Defer de Maisonneuve, 1793. Large 4to. With a stipple-engraved colour-printed frontispiece, and 5 stipple-engraved colour printed plates by Colibert, Casenave, and Clément after the designs of Nicolas Moniau. Contemporary gold-tooled brown and green mottled calf. 161, [3 blank] pp. Full description
€ 7,500
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First edition of a devotional emblem book with an engraved title-page drawn by Rubens,
splendidly bound for the Abbot of Kremsmünster Abbey

HAEFTEN, Benedictus van. Regia via crucis.
Antwerp, Balthasar Moretus (Officina Plantiniana), 1635. 8vo (18 x 11.5 x 4 cm). With engraved title-page showing Christ, Saint Teresa of Avila and 2 unidentified men and 38 full-page emblematic engravings. Richly gold-tooled calf (ca. 1665), each board with the arms of (apparently) Abbot Placidus Buechauer (1611-1669) of Kremsmünster, gilt and elaborately gauffered edges. XL, 404, [26], [2 blank] pp. Full description
€ 3,950
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Sham and swindle: a popular 18th-century satirical work on the tricks, frauds and deceits
performed by several people and professions

HÖNN, Georg Paul. Betrugslexicon, worinnen die meisten Betrügereyen in allen Ständen, nebst denen darwider guten Theils dienenden Mitteln, ...
Coburg, Johann Carl Findeisen, 1761. 8vo. With a woodcut title-vignette and woodcut headpieces. Contemporary brown sprinkled paper over boards, red edges. [16], 524, [4] pp. Full description
€ 1,250
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Beautiful 19th-century illustrations for all of Victor Hugo's plays, printed on silk

[HUGO, Victor]. [Théatre. Gravures sur soie].
[Paris, J. Lemmonyer, G. Richard and Cie, E. Testard, between 1885-1895]. 4to (ca. 27 x 24.5 cm). With 30 full-page engravings on silk. Contemporary gold-tooled red morocco, with the title and author lettered in gold on the spine, gold-tooled board edges and turn ins, marbled end papers. Bound by the French bookbinder Louis Guétant (1848-1936), signed in the bottom turn in of the front board. [30] silk ll. Full description
€ 6,500
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Antipapal dialogues (1520), with a lovely woodcut of Fortuna

HUTTEN, Ulrich von. Dialogi. Fortuna. Febris prima. Febris secunda. Trias Romana. Inspicientes.
Colophon: Mainz, Johann Schöffer, April 1520. Small 4to (19.5 x 14 cm). With a lovely woodcut of the blindfolded Fortuna on title-page (by Hans Weiditz?), a large woodcut initial Q (repeated twice) and several vine leaf ornaments. Printed in roman type. 19th-century half vellum. [72] ll. Full description
€ 3,750
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First edition of an important German emblem book, in an attractive binding

ISSELBURG, Peter and Georg REMUS. Emblemata politica. In aula magna Curiae Noribergensis depicta quae sacra virtutum suggerunt monita prudenter administrandi fortiterque defendendi Rempublicam.
[Nuremberg, Peter Isselburg, 1617]. Small 4to (19 x 14 cm). With an engraved title-page, engraved dedication with the Nuremberg coat of arms and the coat of arms of the eight Nuremberg Senators, and 32 engraved plates with emblems, with engraved captions above and four-line Latin verses below. Modern brown morocco with a large panel on both sides of green imitation reptile skin, encrusted with small gems in centre, chamois endleaves, with matching half morocco chemise and matching half morocco slipcase (Perez-Noriega, 1995). [5] ll. of text. Full description
€ 9,500
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Two famous books each presenting a mother's legacy, here emblematically illustrated by Jan Luyken and with additional verses by the Mennonites Geesje Brit and Adriaan Spinneker

[JOCELIN, Elizabeth Brook]. Uyterste wille van een moeder aan haar toekomende kind, toegeeigent aan de volmaaktste huysmoeder. Den Tweden Druk. [With extensive verses and other additions by Adriaan SPINNEKER].
Together in a single edition with:
HOUTE, Soetgen van den. Uyterste wille, dewelk sy hare kinderen David, Betgen en Tanneken, tot een memorie en voor het alderbeste goet heeft nagelaten, en heeft dat met haren dood bevestigt, tot Gent in Vlaenderen. [With several educational verses by Gezine BRIT].
SPINNEKER, Adriaan. Morgen- en avondgezangen, gebedswijze berijmt.
Amsterdam, Jacobus van Nieuweveen, 1699. 3 works plus additional verses in 1 volume. Small 8vo. A single edition, containing three main works, each with its own title-page with Van Nieuweveens imprint (the first undated, the others 1699) and with all engravings on integral leaves (frontispiece and 16 nearly full-page emblematic engravings by Jan Luyken and 6 smaller emblematic engravings plus 2 small engravings of Hope and Faith, some possibly by Jan Luyken). The first work with a richly engraved allegorical frontispiece, an engraved figure of Faith (with cross and book) on the title-page, and 7 nearly full-page engraved emblems; the second with an engraved figure of Hope (with anchor and bird) on the title-page, a nearly full-page engraved portrait of the author writing in her prison cell, 2 nearly full-page engraved emblems and 4 smaller emblematic engravings in the main text, and 6 nearly full-page engraved emblems and 2 smaller ones accompanying the added verses; and a woodcut vase of flowers on title-page of the third work. Further with several woodcut tailpieces and decorated initials. Contemporary vellum. [8], "259" [= 267], [1, 4 blank] pp. Full description
€ 2,500
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Madame de Pompadour’s “histoire scandaleuse”. One of the few copies surviving the protective efforts of the French ambassador

[KERSTEMAN, Franciscus Lievens]. Historie van mevrouwe de hartoginne van Pompadour. [Wrapper-title: Levensbeschryving van de hartoginne van Pompadour].
Zaltbommel, Johannes Willem Kanneman, 1761. 8vo. With engraved frontispiece and title-page printed in red and black. Recased in 18th-century vellum, later endpapers, preserving the original publisher's printed wrappers. [8], 207, [1 blank] pp. Full description
€ 1,750
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How to become a Don Juan

[LACLOS, Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de]. Les liaisons dangereuses, ou lettres recueilles dans une société, & publiées pour l'instruction de quelques autres. Par M. C..... De L.
Amsterdam; Paris, Durand Neveu, 1782. 4 volumes bound as 2. 12mo. Contemporary sprinkled calf, blind-tooled double fillet frame on boards, sewn on 5 supports, gold-tooled spine with gold-tooled brown leather labels and red sprinkled edges. 248; 240; 230; 256 pp. Full description
€ 2,950
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