PERRAULT, Charles. Portraits des hommes illustres des dix-septièmes dix-huitième siècles, dessinés d'après nature, et gravés par Edelink, Lubin, van Schuppen, Duflos et Simonneau, avec une notice sur chacun d'eux.
Paris, Calixte Volland, 1805.

In-folio (404 x 267 mm), 2 tomes en 1 volume, (52) ff., 40 pp.-(58) ff., 32 pp., (1) f.
Full dark green calf, roulette around the boards, richly decorated smooth spine, red leather title page, roulette around the edges, inner roulette (contemporary binding).

An unusual new edition of the work originally published in 1696-1700 under the title Les Hommes illustres, with notes by Charles Perrault.
Our copy, which is more complete than the first, is enlarged with 40 medallion portraits engraved by Blanchard of famous men who died in the 18th century (Bayle, Boileau, Bossuet, Buffon, Diderot, Fontenelle, Helvetius, Klebert, Maurice de Saxe, J.J. and J.B. Rousseau, Lavoisier, Voltaire, etc.).
It is complete with the portraits of Pascal and Arnauld, redacted by royal order in the first edition.

An attractive copy in contemporary green calf.

Some foxing to the text, discreet and skilful restoration to the spine.
De la bibliothèque de F. Renard ; son ex-libris.