Details
ESTIENNE, HENRI. Traicté de la conformité dv langage François avec le Grec. Paris: Robert Estienne 1569. 8vo, 165 x 109 mm. (6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in.), janséniste dark green morocco, board edges and turn-ins gilt, edge marbled and gilt, by Trautz-Bauzonnet, small nick to head of spine, corners scuffed, repaired tears to fols. *4 (4-inch) and *6 (2-inch), affected letters strengthened in ink, restoration to corners of first 9 leaves, a few other marginal repairs, slight discoloration, washed and pressed. Second Edition, roman and Greek type, woodcut printer's device on title (Schreiber 15), woodcut initials and headpiece.
First printed by the author in Geneva in 1565, the Traité was the first work of the great Hellenist and philologist Henri Estienne II's trilogy on the French language, whose direct derivation from Greek Estienne set out to prove. "In the present work Henri claims the superiority of French over all other languages, except Greek, which, according to him, is the most perfect language and which French most resembles" (Schreiber). Several passages exposing ecclesiastical fraud and one attacking the Pope were suppressed in this second edition, printed by his younger brother, which is otherwise "in some places more correct than the [first] undated edition"--Renouard, p. 125, no. 5; this edition p. 171 no. 4; Adams S1794 (variant issue, J. Du Puys imprint); Schreiber Estienne 240.
Provenance: Alfred Piet, etched bookplate (sale, Paris, 12-14 [or 23-25] June 1902, lot --) -- Hector de Backer (sale, Paris, 3-6 May 1926, lot 18).
First printed by the author in Geneva in 1565, the Traité was the first work of the great Hellenist and philologist Henri Estienne II's trilogy on the French language, whose direct derivation from Greek Estienne set out to prove. "In the present work Henri claims the superiority of French over all other languages, except Greek, which, according to him, is the most perfect language and which French most resembles" (Schreiber). Several passages exposing ecclesiastical fraud and one attacking the Pope were suppressed in this second edition, printed by his younger brother, which is otherwise "in some places more correct than the [first] undated edition"--Renouard, p. 125, no. 5; this edition p. 171 no. 4; Adams S1794 (variant issue, J. Du Puys imprint); Schreiber Estienne 240.
Provenance: Alfred Piet, etched bookplate (sale, Paris, 12-14 [or 23-25] June 1902, lot --) -- Hector de Backer (sale, Paris, 3-6 May 1926, lot 18).