Lucien de Samosate - ŒUVRES DE LUCIEN - 1788-1789

WORKS OF LUCIAN
Translated from Greek, Based on a verified and reviewed copy on six manuscripts of the King's Library; With historical-literary Notes, and critical remarks on the text of this Author.
In Paris, At Jean-François Bastien, 1788-1789
Original edition of the French translation by Jacques-Nicolas Belin de Ballu (1753-1815).
6 volumes in 8vo, full calf, raised spine with 5 nerves, compartments ornamented with gilded roulettes, red title piece, boards ornamented with a triple frame of gilded fillets, marbled edges, bookmarks, ex-libris: “René Rosset.”
Number of pages: [1] f. frontispiece-title [1] f.-[8]-xxxi-446 p.; [3] f.-568 p.; [3] f.-96-489 p. (113 to 602); [3] f.-583 p.; [3] f.-466 p.; [4] f.-cxxxv-cxxxvi-cxv-xl p., i.e. more than 3000 pages.
Condition:
Volume
1: Top edge shaved and bottom damaged with loss, worm tunnel along the foot of the spine, cuts and corners worn, worming and epidermure on the outer back board, fly-leaf, one leaf, the half-title and the frontispiece disassembled.
2: Foot edge damaged, corners worn, small worm-eaten areas on the boards.
3: Top edges damaged, corners worn, pages 97 to 112 missing, page 278 bears no. 178, pages 595 with 597 inverted and 600 with 601.
4: Worm tunnel on the front board, corners rubbed.
5: Top edge damaged, cuts and foot corners rubbed.
6: Top edge shaved, worming on the front board, worm tunnel on the back board, bottom corners rubbed, corners worn.
Otherwise, the entire text pages are in like-new condition.
Weight: 3540 g.
See photos.
Jacques-Nicolas Belin de Ballu, a renowned Hellenist of his time, specialist of the works of Lucian of Samosata (approx. 125?–192?) whom he translated in full. This translation, preceded by a short biography of the author and a long preface in which he explains that he based his translation on the Basel edition of 1555 and revised the text against the Amsterdam edition of 1743 (four in-folios) and against six manuscripts from the royal collections. Brunet describes it as a “valued translation”; this copy is complete with its errata as well as the card stock found between pages 184 and 185 of the third volume. The last volume contains the critical apparatus and the comparison of the works consulted for this publication.