Jean-Francois Marmontel — Nouveaux Contes Moraux

Paris, J. B. Garnery, 1801. Leather. An original French collection of the moral tales and short fables by the French historian Jean-Francois Marmontel, illustrated with one detailed plate to each volume. Complete in four volumes. In the original French. Collated, complete. Illustrated with a frontispiece to Volume I, and one plate each bound into Volumes II, III, and IV. Half-title is present to each volume. Registers run as: Volume I, [4], A-T8, Volume II, A-T8, V4, Volume III, A-T8, V4, Volume IV, [2], A-R8, S9. A collection of the tales of Jean-Francois Marmontel. Marmontel published this series of moral tales in the official journal 'Le Mercure&apos. The tales are moral, but also have a delicate finish to their writing style, and depict the court of Louis XV at Versailles in a charming and graphic manner. They are sentimental stories, and were very widely appreciated and popular with the public. Marmontel was a French historian and author. He was a member of the Enclycolpedistes movement, and first found literary success with a succession of tragedies that he wrote from 1748 to 1753, including 'Aristomene' and 'Cleopatre&apos. In a full marbled calf binding. Externally, generally smart. Rubbing to the boards and spines, with some loss of leather to the front boards of Volumes I and II. Minor bumping to the head and tail of the spines and to the extremities, with a small amount of loss to the head of the spine of Volume II. A small amount of loss to the spine label to Volume II. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very lightly age-toned and generally clean with the odd mark and odd spot. Prior owner's ink inscription, 'A. Baird' to the head of the title pages of Volumes I and II, to the head of the half-titles of Volumes III and IV, to the head of page 45 of Volume I, head of leaves C6 and E1 of Volume II, head of leaf C7 of Volume III, and head of leaf C7 of Volume IV. Small closed tear to the tail of leaf H7 of Volume I, not affecting text, and mark to leaf L6. Small chip to leaf O1 of Volume II, not affecting text. Very Good . Ill.: Not Stated. Very Good .