Jonathan Swift - Voyages de Gulliver - 1727

SWIFT, JONATHAN. — GULLIVER'S TRAVELS [TRANSLATION BY ABBÉ DESFONTAINES] (PARIS, GABRIEL MARTIN, 1727, 2 COMPLETE VOLUMES WITH ENGRAVED PLATES).
Paris: Gabriel Martin, 1727.
2 volumes in-12. Full contemporary calf binding, spine with ornate raised bands.
Rare and precious original edition of the French translation published in 1727 by Gabriel Martin in Paris.

Published in England under the title Gulliver's Travels in October 1726, these imaginary travel tales met with dazzling success throughout Europe. Abbé Desfontaines issued the first French adaptation as early as April 1727, quickly followed by this “second edition revised and corrected” in the same year by the same publisher.

The work gathers the four mythical voyages: Lilliput (the pygmies), Brobdingnag (the giants), Laputa (the flying island of learned philosophers) and the land of the Houyhnhnms (the reasonable horses).
This copy is complete with its suite of copper-engraved plates hors-texte marking the beginning of each voyage.

Magnificent copy preserved in its period binding from the first third of the 18th century in full brown marbled calf. Spine with ornate raised bands, with a gilding of remarkable freshness and great brilliance. Original title and volume labels preserved and legible. Missing the title piece on the second volume. Very light wear to the heads and corners, bindings very solid and perfectly closed.
Interior in very fine condition on period laid paper. Very sharp impression of the hors-texte engravings (including Lilliput and the island of Laputa).

Abbé Desfontaines did not merely translate Swift: he “Francified” his humor by softening some satires that were too English for the taste of the Court of Louis XV. Swift himself wrote him a famous letter to congratulate him on the resounding success of his translation in France!

Very beautiful and rare edition.