Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

Faerno, Gabriele. Fabulae centum ex antiquis auctoribus delectae, carminibus explicatae … Editio nova. – Cent fables choisies des anciens auteurs, mises en vers latins par G. F. et traduites par Mr. Perrault. Nouvelle édtion.

With engr. frontispiece and 100 engr. vignettes in the text by Claude du Bosc. II pp., 1 index leaf, 45, (19), 238, (2) pp. 4to. Contemp. full calf over 7 raised bands with spine label. Marbled endpapers (covers rubbed, spine ends defective, lacking last flyleaf). – London, Guill. Darres and Claude Du Bosc, 1743.

First Latin-French edition of Faerno’s collection, an English-French edition was published two years before. Gabriele Faerno (d. 1561) was commissioned to compile a selection of Aesopian fables by his protector Pope Pius IV in c. 1550. The collection of 100 fables was published in 1563 only, after Faerno’s death. Charles Perrault’s (1628–1703) French translation in verses was first published in 1699. His aim was to achieve an ideal combination of closeness to the Latin text with La Fontaine’s subtle poetry. The present Latin-French edition was in use as a text book at the time. – Bodemann 119.2; Cohen/de Ricci 371; cf. Fabula docet 36. – Frontispiece somewhat soiled and creased. Tear in white margin of leaf Hh2 restored. Leaves a4 and b4 with marginal dampstain, else a very clean copy. – Best.-Nr. 5439