A E S O P U S S E M P E R V I V U S gravings of Hendrik Goltzius (1558–1617). – Bodemann 72.1 (47 plates only); Fabula docet 108 (35 plates only); Hoffmann I, 76f.; Thieme/Becker XV, 50 (Grimm). – Plate «F» with restored marginal tear touching the plate margin. Inner margins affected by old wormholes in places. 3 Laurentius, Johannes, S. J., ed. Fabularum Aesopiarum libri quinque. With frontispiece engr. by Chr. Hagens, and 103 engr. vignettes. Title, (60), 462 pp., blank leaf, (204) pp. index, 2 blank leaves. 8vo. Contemp. full vellum. Amsterdam, Johannes Jansson van Waesberge and widow of Elizeus Weyerstraet, 1667. CHF 1’600.– (EUR 1’070.–) Authoritative edition of Phaedrus, compiled and annotated by the jurist and Jesuit Johannes Laurentius. His commentaries have a special focus on juridical use. The 103 anonymous illustrations to the fables don’t follow any known examples. Their motifs point forward to the illustrations of Jan van Vianen in the early 18th century. In the present copy the correct illustrations to the prologue and fable XV of book III are separately inserted as mounted single leaves to replace the wrong engravings printed onto the page. – Bodemann 75.1; Fabula docet 68; Brunet IV, 588 («recherchée … par rapport aux figures»); Ebert 16583. Not in Landwehr. – Engr. exlibris with erased owner’s name on first paste-down. A very clean copy. 4 La Fontaine, (Jean) de. Fables choisies, mises en vers. With 118 vignettes by François Chauveau. (56), 284 pp., (3) leaves. Small 4to. Orig. printed wrappers in transparent dust-jacket, untrimmed. Paris, Denys Thierry, 1668 (repr. Firmin-Didot 1930). CHF 1’200.– (EUR 800.–) One of 600 numbered copies of the Firmin-Didot reprint of the famous first edition of La Fontaine’s first 124 fables, dedicated to the six-year old Dauphin Louis, son of Louis XIV. La Fontaine’s (1621–1695) fables are a landmark in the history of world literature. The first six books were re-issued three times in the year of the first edition and the year after. <strong>Books</strong> VII and VIII followed in 1678, books IX to XI in 1679. A XIIth book published in 1694 rounded off the work which elevated its author to one of the most famous poets. Here: one of the few reprints which are quite as rare as their original. – Cf. Bodemann 77.1 (1st ed.); Fabula docet 47. – Clean copy. 5 VAN DER BORCHT. – Baudoin, J(ean), ed. Les Fables d’Esope Phrygien. Illustrées de Discours Moraux, Philosophiques, et Politiques. Nouvelle édition. With engr. frontispiece and 147 engr. vignettes by Pieter van der Borcht. (5) leaves, 86, 412, (8) pp. 12mo. Contemp. calf, spine gilt, with labels (rebacked). Bruxelles, François Foppens, 1669. CHF 1’400.– (EUR 930.–) 6
John Ogilby, no. 1