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Elzevier edition of fashionable conversations, by a famous French Jesuit

[BOUHOURS, Dominique].
Les entretiens d'Ariste et d'Eugene. Dernière edition. ... Sur la copie imprimée à Paris.
Amsterdam, "Jaques le Jeune" [= Daniel Elzevier], 1671. 12mo. With an engraved frontispiece, woodcut publisher's device (armillary sphere) on title-page and 2 woodcut decorated initials. Polished gold-tooled red goatskin morocco (ca. 1840?), each board in a panel design. A pencil note on an endleaf attributes the binding to "Muller" on grounds unknown to us, but he was active from 1834, which accords well with the date of the present binding. [8], 438, [9], [1 blank] pp.
€ 900
First Netherlands edition, in the same year as the first Paris edition but including revisions from the second Paris edition, of a self-consciously elegant work with six conversations between two friends, presented as models of eloquence by the distinguished French Jesuit priest, essayist and neo-classical critic Dominique Bouhours (1628-1702). It gives a good picture of salon society in 17th-century Paris, which served as a model for much of the world. The upper class literary public received it very favourably, praising the delicacy and purity of the author's style.
With owner's inscription on an endleaf. With a small marginal ink stain on the title-page and a few corners showing old folds, but still in very good condition. Hinges professionally restored and binding otherwise very good. Attractively bound Elzevier edition of a literary work with six conversations demonstrating the art of eloquence. Adams, Rawles & Saunders F123; Berghman 1346; Landwehr, Emblem and fable books 226; Willems 1440.
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Book history, education, learning & printing  >  Bindings
Literature & linguistics  >  English, French & German Literature