SELECTED LIBRARY OF TALES, JOKES, AND GOOD... - Lot 41 - Ader

SELECTED LIBRARY OF TALES, JOKES, AND GOOD WORDS. Paris : Royer, 1786-1788. - 7 volumes in-8, 198 x 124 : frontispiece, (2 ff.), xj, xix pp., (2 ff.), iv, 208 pp. ; frontispiece, 245 pp. ; frontispiece, 247 pp. ; 296 pp. ; 250 pp. ; (2 ff.), 231 pp. ; (1 f.), 220 pp. Red morocco, triple gilt fillet in frame and gilt fleuron on the corners of the boards, smooth spine decorated, gilt border inside, gilt edges (period binding). First edition of this precious and rare collection of tales and short stories. The complete collection should include 14 volumes but it is rare to find it in its entirety. We have here the first five published between 1786 and 1788, containing French as well as Greek and Latin pieces. The first volume includes at the head of the book Réflexions sur le conte by Dorat. There are also three unsigned frontispieces, the first of which is printed in red. To these first five volumes are joined two others of the same series, respectively entitled Les Folies sentimentales, ou l'égarement de l'esprit par le cœur, Recueil d'Anecdotes nouvelles, and Nouvelles folies sentimentales, ou folies par amour; précédées De la Folie par haine, avec la Bague d'Hébé, Conte érotique; pour faire suite à la Bibliothèque choisie de Contes, both volumes being dated 1786 by Royer. COPIES ON VELIN PAPER IN-8, the current edition being in-18. Very nice set uniformly bound in contemporary morocco. Spines very slightly faded. Small light spotting on the top of the frontispiece of volumes 2 and 3. The last two volumes were volumes XII and XIII, the numbers have been partly erased to leave only I and II.