Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

PHAEDRUS. – Hoogstraten, David Franz van, ed. and transl.. Phaedri Fabularum Aesopiarum Libri V … in usum serenissimi principis Nassauii.

Title printed in red and black. With engr. figurative frontispiece by Boutats after Goerée, folding portrait by P. van Gunst after B. Vaillant, 18 engr. plates by Jan van Vianen, each showing 6 emblematic medallions, many engr. initials, head- and tail-pieces, and engr. title-vignette. (16) leaves (incl. frontispiece and title), 160 pp., (42) leaves index. 4to. Contemp. calf over 6 raised bands. Spine gilt with label. – Amsterdam, Franziskus Halma, 1701.

First edition of this exquisitely illustrated edition of 94 fables of the Roman fabulist Phaedrus (1st cent. AD), translated and annotated by D. F. van Hoogstraten (1658–1724) and dedicated to Crown Prince John William Friso of Nassau (1687–1711), whose portrait opens the work. The collection is completed by five fables adapted by Marquard Gude (1635–1689) and by Phaedrus’ life compiled by the Strasburg philologist Johannes Scheffer (1621–1679), who assembled all known biographical details of this slave liberated by Augustus. The finest Dutch Phaedrus edition. Engr. heraldic bookplate „Bibliotheca Blomiana“ on first paste-down. – Metzner Coll. 94.1; Fabula docet 42; Landwehr 247; Cohen/de R. 797f. (“très belle édition, bien illustrée”); Sander 1543; Dibdin II, 280. – A clean copy in a contemp. binding. – Best.-Nr. 19822