Early edition of one of the very first children's books ever printed. The work contains a description of textiles and ancient Roman dress, and was specifically meant for the entertainment and edification of children. Although the title page states that it is the second edition, it is actually the third printed by Estienne. It is nearly identical to the second, but uses small caps for the first word of every chapter to make the structure of the text clearer.
The work is the first part of a series on Roman antiquities written by Lazare de Baïf (1496-1547) in the late 1520s. It discusses ancient Roman hats and shoes, carpets and rugs, and the colours of wool and other textiles, with French translations of many of the terms. De Baïf's work was edited and abridged by Charles Estienne (1505-1564), scholar, physician and younger brother of printer Robert Estienne (1503-1559). It was a huge success, with more than a dozen editions recorded for the first ten years, and was followed up by the Estiennes with several other similar children's books.
De Baïf was a humanist, poet and wealthy diplomat. He was the French ambassador in Venice and Germany. He hired Charles Estienne as a Latin tutor for his son, Jean-Antoine de Baïf (1532-1589), who later became a poet. Estienne initially abridged De Baïf's works to provide simplified Latin readings for his student, but soon published it for the enjoyment of other children as well. He was an elegant writer of Latin verse, and is commended by poet Joachim du Bellay as having introduced a few valuable words into the French language.
A water stain in the lower outer corner of the leaves, and a small hole in the lower margin of page [6-8]. Otherwise in good condition. Adams B45; Renouard, p. 52, no. 14; Pettegree & Walsby 2532; USTC 88432 (5 copies); WorldCat 13027853, 22013234, 490273577, 1138872963, 404265647, 165959673, 954853987, 1015429473; cf. BM, Catalogue of French books, p. 39 (other ed.); Schreiber 50 (other ed.).