Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

L’Estrange, Roger. Barlow, Francis. Les Fables d’Esope, et de plusieurs autres excellens mythologistes, accompagnées du sens moral et des reflexions … Traduites de l’Anglois.

With 136 etchings (of which 1 frontispiece and 1 plate) by Francis Barlow, partly engr. by Thomas Dudley. LXXXIV, 222, (2) SS. Small 4to. 18th-century style half calf over six raised bands with gilt-lettered spine label. – Amsterdam, Estienne Roger, 1714.

First edition of the French translation of 111 fables selected and annotated by Sir Roger L’Estrange (1617–1705) and of his life of Aesop. L’Estrange’s versions were first and successfully published in London in 1692. Francis Barlow’s (1626–1704) etchings, highly influenced by the Dutch Markus Gheeraerts, were published for the first time in 1666 and 1687. Both, text and illustrations, were published together for the first time in the present edition by Estienne Roger, who took over Barlow’s copper plates in 1704. – Bodemann 101.1; Fabula docet 13; Landwehr 99; Cohen/de Ricci 350 (“livre assez rare”); Sander 620. – Modern ex-libris “L. H. Dorrenboom” on first paste-down. Few contemp. ms. additions to the “reflexions”. Tear in lower white margin of leaf k1. Leaf A3 restored on verso with loss of some text. Frontispiece reinforced verso, plate between pages LX and LXI with supplied lower margin. Spot on title. Minor browning throughout, a good copy in all. – Best.-Nr. 5436