by (AUCTION CATALOGUE: LA VALLIÈRE)
Engraved frontis. port., one folding engraved plate, & four engraved facsimiles (three folding). Four vols. 8vo, cont. calf ("veau porphyre"), gilt fillets round sides, gilt fleurons in each corner of covers, flat spines richly gilt, red & tan morocco lettering pieces on spines. Paris: G. De Bure, 1783. An exceptionally lovely set of the celebrated catalogue of the first part of the most important book and manuscript collection of the 18th century. The catalogue, prepared by De Bure and Van Praet, contains MSS., noteworthy incunabula, and books printed on vellum or large paper. Their descriptions influenced French and English book collectors and bibliographers for several generations. The sale, consisting of 5668 lots, made the enormous sum of 464,677 liv. 8 s. "The manuscripts constitute an amazing collection of early French poetry and romances."-Taylor, Book Catalogues, p. 248. This set, which is priced throughout in a contemporary hand, has the SupplĂ©ment to the first part and the separately printed 42-page price list; they are very rare and are usually found only in large paper sets. Very fine and handsome set. Engraved bookplate of A. Kuhnholtz. ❧ Brunet, II, 554. Peignot, pp. 128-29. Pollard & Ehrman no. 297. (Inventory #: 2568)