[TRÉVOUX'S DICTIONARY]. Dictionnaire universel françois et l - Lot 273

[TRÉVOUX'S DICTIONARY]. Dictionnaire universel françois et latin. Imprimé à Trévoux et se vend à Paris chez Delaulne, Foucault, Clousier, Nyon, Ganeau, Gosselin, 1721. 5 volumes in-folio, brown speckled basane, ribbed spines decorated with gilt fleurons, gilt title on burgundy morocco and gilt tomaison on brown leather, roulette on the edges (faded), red speckled edges. Contemporary binding. XXI and 1932 pp; 1084; 1620; 2304; 896, 330, 236 columns of pages (2 columns per page), titles printed in black and red and adorned with an engraved vignette, engraved headbands, ornamented lettrines and culs-de-lampe. Overall rubbed, headpieces missing, a few snags, two spines damaged at foot, boards rubbed, one corner trimmed and worm work at beginning of volume 3, pasteboards stuck to second board of volume 1. Sporadic foxing and browning. Second edition of the Dictionnaire de Trévoux, named after the town of Trévoux where the first edition was printed in 1704. Originally written by a group of Jesuits (Fathers Bougeant, Buffier, Castel, Ducerceau and Tournemine), it enjoyed tremendous success throughout the 18th century, as evidenced by its five editions (1704, 1721, 1732, 1752, 1771). This vast and monumental undertaking of popularized erudition is recognized today as crucial to the dissemination and understanding of French culture in the Europe of the Enlightenment. Pen-and-ink bookplate on title, naming the library of a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of Saint-Maur on the title, signed and dated 1726. A complete 5-volume contemporary copy of one of the most famous French-language dictionaries of the Age of Enlightenment.