Fables de Jean De La Fontaine (Two Volumes Bound as One).

Paris, France Delarue, Libraire-Editeur. Hardcover Very Good: shows indications of careful use: former owner's name inscribed at the front flyleaf and a couple of margin lines on the first two pages; light wear to extremities; moderate rubbing to the panels; the pages have some foxing; the binding is square and secure (the front hinge is just starting, but remains secure). No longer 'As New', but remains clean, sturdy, and quite presentable. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo. (7.15 x 4.65 x 1 inches). xxxvi, 143 pages + 212 pages. Liberally illustrated with "gravures par les premieres artistes" by Henri Louis Armand Telory (fl. 1840-1852),also known as MM. Pauquet et Henry Emy, the name given on the title pages. Brown embossed cloth over boards with ribbed and gilt-decoreated backstirp with gilt titles. All Edges Gilt. Marbled Endpapers. Language: French. Weight: 15.3 ounces. The most famous fabulist after Aesop, the French poet Jean de la Fontaine published his three collections of fables in the second half of the seventeenth century, and found that not only had he an instant popular success on his hands; he happened to have written a literary masterpiece as well. Though not specifically composed for the young, these tales have a freshness and vividness which continue to appeal to children today, while the psychological astuteness of the author and the wit and elegance of his style will impress adults as well. La Fontaine happily ransacked a whole range of sources for his stories - from ancient Greek and Latin to contemporary French and Italian - adapting, interweaving, blending, inventing and transforming as he went. The result is a unique and imaginative tour de force which has delighted and entertained readers for over 300 years.