Les Baisers, Precedes Du Mois De Mai. (bound with) Les Baisers De Jean Second. Traduction Francoise, Accompagnee Du Texte Latin. Par M.M...C...A Cythere; et Se Trouve, a Paris, Chez Pillot 1791
(Dorat, Claude Joseph)
A La Haye, Et Se Trouve a Pari: Chez Lambert, Imprimeur, Rue De La Harpe et Delalain, Rue De La Comedie Francoise, 1770. For the Dorat: 188 pages, with a splendidly engraved title page by N. Ponce after C. Eisen, the printed title also with a small Eisen, engraved by Alianet; followed by a preliminary section and then the poems, with engravings at the beginning and at each piece's ending as cul-de-lampe or pendant tailpieces after Eisen by De Longueil, Ponce, De Launay, Baquoy, Lingee, Alianet, D Nee, Massard, Masquelieu, dozens of superb examples of the engraver's art, nearly all with the date as well (1770); Claude Joseph Dorat, Chevalier (1734-80) French poet and fora time mousetqire, author of indifferent tragedies and comedies and of lively and graceful miscellaneous verse which annoyed Volatiare, after the manner of Ovid (as here), and of satirical plays ridiculing the intellectual salons (Oxford French) and the subject of a lively and informative article by Antony Griffiths in the Summer 2008 Book Collector, mostly concerned with Dorat's publishing ventures, payments and legal agreements, noting that "...Dorat had a great vogue on the back of the fashion for the heroide, a verse epistle written by an abandoned lover, based on the models supplied by Ovid...Dorat was a facile versifier, and turned out such sentimental poems in considerable numbers... from 1763 were always illustrated with a title-page, a vignette and a cul-de-lampe...The quantity of Dorat's productions soon led to fierce criticism, and being rude about Dorat become one of the favoured literary pastimes of the day....Dorat reacted to criticism very badly, and took to writing long prefaces to justify himself and his works. He also began to take up other literary forms. The first of these were short poems, and the most famous of these were his Baisers, that first appeared in February 1770 with the usual three plates. But in June a completely revised second edition appeared with an unprecedented wealth of plates: 22 vignettes and 22 culs-de-lampe..."; we note the same count here in this 'troisieme' edition, which evidently was needed to fill the orders for the enlarged 'seconde'; (with) the "Les Baisers..." title, Latin & French or Italian & Latin side-by-side text; also with tailpieces and decorations and not to the standard of the Eisen work, more of a simple, decorative quality; the anonymous author of this text's translations notes at one of the poetic efforts the "...Nous ignorons comment M. Dorat a pu faire rimer souviens-t-en avec a l'instant: de plus ces deux vers sont durs, et deparent une peitete piece aussi delicate." and refers to Dorat's work in the preface to this work, mostly of translations of Italian and Latin poetic authors; with the engraved bookplate of the Duke of Herambourg, with a handwritten note stating "Ex Biblio M. Le duc de Herambourg" in the bottom margin of the plate- NOTE: this identification is open to interpretation, as a close examination of the actual engraved lettering of the bookplate seems to read Duke de "C"rambourg (not 'He"), which more closely match the initials "DC" found in a round stamp on the title page, with a few small numbers-more confusing perhaps is written in a small ink hand on the title "cp bibli. D. herambourg Regis consiliari in servatii normandens"; bound in original full brown polished etched calf, all edges tinted red; very worn, spine ends chipped away; boards loosening; text block still fairly sound; good candidate for a rebinding; title page and first leaf of second piece with a rub to paper at inner margin, probably a binder or printer defect, no loss; overall, contents very fresh and in very good condition, especially wonderful engraved work by the top artists of the day. Good (Item ID: 18636)
$350.00
