La Bruyère - Les Caractères - 1765

LA BRUYÈRE, Jean (de). The Characters of Théophraste, and of La Bruyère. With Notes by M. Coste. New edition. Paris, Hochereau & Panckoucke, 1765. In-4, viii pp. of front., 484 pp., vellum (19th-century pastiche), spine with raised cords richly ornamented, red edges, wide margins.

First edition in in-4 format. With a portrait by L. J. Cathelin, after Saint-Jean, a fleur-de-lis on the title, three vignettes and tail-pieces by Gravelot, engraved by Duclos and Lebas. “The edition, which is beautiful, is based on Coste’s 1739 edition. The handsome copies have their place indicated in the libraries of the 18th century.”

Ex-libris of G. Roder (bookseller, active in the 19th century) with his motto “Justus et aequitus.”

Brunet III, 721; Tchemerzine VI, 329