Chefs-d'Oeuvre Dramatiques de P. & zt. Corneille, Avec le Jugement des Savans à la suite de chaque Pièce

London, 1783 24 mo. Five volumes. Early edition. Finely bound in contemporary tan mottled calf, boards triple-ruled in gilt and spines stamped in gilt, board edges and turn-ins gilt, text block edges gilt, red and blue marbled endpapers; green silk markers in each volume. A near fine set with just some light wear to extremities, most pronounced in Vol. II, two small holes in the leather of Vol. V, bookplate of Philibert Bruys de Gardes to front pastedown of each volume. Overall, a beautiful set. This set includes the complete dramatic works of two noted French dramatists, brothers Pierre and Thomas Corneille. Both were active writers during the 17th century, publishing dozens of works each. Pierre, older than his brother by 19 years, is the better known of the two, and is counted among some of the greatest dramatists of the 17th century, alongside Molière and Racine. His most famous work, the tragicomedy Le Cid (1637), was performed at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris, and was an enormous success, and continues to be regarded as one of the best plays to come out of the 17th century.. Hard Cover. Near Fine.