Details
[BRY, THEODORE DE (1528-98). The Great Voyages, Part I, in French. Hariot's Virginia.] [Merveilleux et estrange Rapport, toutefois fidele, des Commoditez qui se trouvent en Virginie....] Frankfurt: de l'Imprimerie Ian Wechel, aux despens de Theodore de Bry, 1590.
2° (328 x 236 mm). Collation: a4 b6 c4 d8 A6 B-C8 D6 E8 F6. 60 leaves (of 64, lacking a1 [engraved title], a3 [dedication], d7 [Adam and Eve engraving], and F6 blank). Double-page engraved map of Virginia (first state), 27 (of 28) engravings, most half-page, 11 full-page or wider, including 5 portraits of Picts, most by Theodore de Bry after John White's drawings (plates 5, 6, 11, and 15 signed G. Veen, plates 18, 21 and 22 unsigned), letterpress section title to the plates, woodcut initials, passe-partout initials, head- and tail-pieces. (Patched 2x3-inch hole to upper left corner of map, fols. a2-d2 and a few other leaves rehinged, causing slight loss to engraved images of figures II and III on d8 and A1, plates 17 and 19 misbound in each other's place, D6 blank misbound after D1, repaired tears slightly affecting text of fols. a2, b3, b4, b6, A1 and engravings on A6 [fig. 8] and D4 [fig. 22], cropping to fore-edges of C4-5 [text and engraving of fig. 18] and D1 [fig. 20], a few other mostly marginal tears or repairs, ink scribbles covering women's breasts and Picts' genitals in a few plates, some marginal soiling.) Modern calf-backed boards.
FIRST AND ONLY EDITION IN FRENCH of Part I of the de Bry Great Voyages, and the only edition of any of the de Bry Voyages to be published in French. De Bry abandoned the project of publishing French and English editions after this first volume, probably because the extra expense of publishing the text in four languages was deemed unprofitable. The dedication of the French edition is dated 24 March 1590, earlier than the dedications of the English, Latin, and German editions, dated respectively April 1, "April" and April 3, 1590. This French edition thus appears to contain the earliest impression of the plates. The map appears here in its first, extremely rare, state, with the spelling "Ehesepiooc" for "Chesepiooc" (cf. Burden 76). Brunet remarks that the impressions of the engravings are superior to those of the other editions, although it is unlikely that he had examined many copies, given the book's legendary rarity. This appears to be the first copy of the French edition to come up at auction in fifty years or more.
Alden & Landis 590/33; Brunet I, 1318-19; Church 203; JCB (3) I:386; Rosenwald Collection 724.
2° (328 x 236 mm). Collation: a4 b6 c4 d8 A6 B-C8 D6 E8 F6. 60 leaves (of 64, lacking a1 [engraved title], a3 [dedication], d7 [Adam and Eve engraving], and F6 blank). Double-page engraved map of Virginia (first state), 27 (of 28) engravings, most half-page, 11 full-page or wider, including 5 portraits of Picts, most by Theodore de Bry after John White's drawings (plates 5, 6, 11, and 15 signed G. Veen, plates 18, 21 and 22 unsigned), letterpress section title to the plates, woodcut initials, passe-partout initials, head- and tail-pieces. (Patched 2x3-inch hole to upper left corner of map, fols. a2-d2 and a few other leaves rehinged, causing slight loss to engraved images of figures II and III on d8 and A1, plates 17 and 19 misbound in each other's place, D6 blank misbound after D1, repaired tears slightly affecting text of fols. a2, b3, b4, b6, A1 and engravings on A6 [fig. 8] and D4 [fig. 22], cropping to fore-edges of C4-5 [text and engraving of fig. 18] and D1 [fig. 20], a few other mostly marginal tears or repairs, ink scribbles covering women's breasts and Picts' genitals in a few plates, some marginal soiling.) Modern calf-backed boards.
FIRST AND ONLY EDITION IN FRENCH of Part I of the de Bry Great Voyages, and the only edition of any of the de Bry Voyages to be published in French. De Bry abandoned the project of publishing French and English editions after this first volume, probably because the extra expense of publishing the text in four languages was deemed unprofitable. The dedication of the French edition is dated 24 March 1590, earlier than the dedications of the English, Latin, and German editions, dated respectively April 1, "April" and April 3, 1590. This French edition thus appears to contain the earliest impression of the plates. The map appears here in its first, extremely rare, state, with the spelling "Ehesepiooc" for "Chesepiooc" (cf. Burden 76). Brunet remarks that the impressions of the engravings are superior to those of the other editions, although it is unlikely that he had examined many copies, given the book's legendary rarity. This appears to be the first copy of the French edition to come up at auction in fifty years or more.
Alden & Landis 590/33; Brunet I, 1318-19; Church 203; JCB (3) I:386; Rosenwald Collection 724.