RABELAIS, François. La plaisante, et joyeuse histoyre du grand Geant Gargantua. Prochainement reveue & de beaucoup augmentée par l’Auheur mesme. -Second livre de Pantagruel, Roy des Dipsodes […] Plus les merveilleuses navigations du disciple de Pantagruel, dict Panurge. -Tiers livre des faictz, et dictz heroiques du noble Pantagruel, composés par M. Franç. Rabelais […] Valence, chez Claude La Ville, 1547.
3 parts in 1 volume 16 mo [112 x 73 mm] of: I/ 246 pp. and 58 figures; II/ 320 pp. and 50 figures; III/ 349 pp. and 59 figures.
Red full morocco, double gilt fillet on covers, gilt fleuron in the centre, spine ribbed and decorated with gilt fillets and fleurons, wide inner gilt border, gilt edges. Signed Capé.
A beautiful copy of this precious counterfeit of Claude La ville’s edition, printed towards 1600. Brun, p. 280 ; Plan 85 ; Brunet, IV, 1051-1052 ; Tchemerzine, V, p. 297.
On the title, a grotesque vignette depicts singers (40 x 50 mm). Besides that, the illustration is composed of a set of 167 vignettes in the style of Lyons, a classic example of popular imagery. Many of them seem to have been especially engraved. The copy described by Brun in Le livre français illustré de la Renaissance only had 104 vignettes instead of the 167 present in this copy.
The quality of the issue is a lot better than in the first edition. « In this counterfeit, the figures are a little more sharper compared to the original » emphasizes Brunet. Pp. 215 to 233 of the 2nd part present the Pantagrueline Prognostication, while the end of the same part is dedicated to Voyage & Navigation que fist Panurge, disciple de Pantagruel, aux Isles incongneues & estranges. Pp. 281 to 349 of the 3rd part contain the Quart livre, with the prologue and the first 11 chapters of the fourth book. This text shows few differences with the complete editions of the same book.
A very beautiful copy of this book printed in round characters and admirably illustrated in the popular manner of that time.
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