Fables of La Fontaine, Part III

Title

Fables of La Fontaine, Part III

0

Description

en_US This is a hardbound book (hard cover)

Language note: Bilingual: English/French

Elizur Wright, Jr.

Creator

Jr., Elizur Wright, See all items with this value

Contributor

en_US Grandville, J.J.

Date

2016-05-09T19:54:16Z

en_US 2016-04

en_US 1841

Date Available

2016-05-09T19:54:16Z

Date Issued

en_US 1841

Abstract

en_US This book presents the first half of Volume II by covering Books VII through IX of La Fontaine's fables. It thus becomes Part III of four parts. This set of four volumes constitutes a wonderful surprise. I had thought it would be a worthy second copy of the original Tappan and Dennet publication of Wright's translation of La Fontaine. I remembered the printing of Grandville's illustrations as being especially good. I was surprised by the description that it spreads into four parts the two volumes which Tappan and Dennet published then. The surprise when I received the four books is that this edition intercalates La Fontaine's French texts with the Wright translations. The binder apparently did not have an easy time with this procedure, partly perhaps because, as in that edition, the full-page illustrations are never printed on the obverse. The strange result, described in my comments on Part I, is that French and English texts do not match up perfectly and page numbers are repeated. This third part begins with an endpaper and a blank page before we see the title-page for Volume II, with bibliographical information on its verso. Facing that on the right is the same "Fables" made of animal characters standing alone. After the letter to Madame de Montespan in both languages, we have the title-page for Book VII, and the book is on its way. Again we start with a brilliant image of the lion ruling over the animals sick of the plague. A random opening of the book brings me to another brilliant image: "The Women and the Secret" (VIII 6). The last element in this volume is IX 19, "The Shepherd and His Flock." A curiosity is that the header for this page erroneously has "Book XI. Fable XIX" just as the English-only volume did (173). As in the earlier parts, the printer's devices are fascinating on their own. This book features the same two gold embossed urns on its covers as the two volume English edition and as Part I and II here. The lower half of the spine is detached at one side, and the back cover is breaking away from the block. This is a tender treasure! The inside front cover features a small seal "Bound by P. Row, 21 Devonshire St., Boston."

Identifier

cf. #288

10756 (Access ID)

uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10504/87194

Language

en_US eng

Publisher

en_US Tappan and Dennet

Boston

Subject

en_US PQ1808.A1 1841d v.3 See all items with this value

La Fontaine See all items with this value

Type

Book, Whole