KAHKJFDSKJ — Manon Lescaut

London, Geoffrey Bles, 1928. Cloth. A large limited edition paper copy of this short novel from Antoine Francois Prevost, illustrated by John Austen. Published in 1731, it is the seventh and final volume of Memoires et aventures d'un homme de qualite (Memoirs and Adventures of a Man of Quality). It was controversial in its time and was banned in France upon publication. Despite this, it became very popular and pirated editions were widely distributed. In a subsequent 1753 edition, the Abb Prvost toned down some scandalous details and injected more moralizing disclaimers.With an introduction by J. Lewis May. Illustrated with 12 coloured plates and illustrations in the text by John Austen.   In a vellum binding with cloth-covered boards. Externally, smart, with just some slight sunning and a few marks. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean, with just a few instances of spotting. Near Fine . Ill.: John Austen. Near Fine .