[Aesop]. Adriaan van Baarland, Roger L'Estrange, Avianus, Lorenzo Astemio and Poggio Bracciolini. Fables, Of Aesop and o...

Description

Extra-Illustrated with Sixty-Two Original Etchings

"The Aesop, on the other hand, was actually an assemblage of fables and facetiae from a variety of sources, ancient and modern, the second volume being wholly un-Aesopian. The trenchant reflections added to the individual fables possess a strong political animus and were to draw severe criticism from the later whig fabulist Samuel Croxall; but all L'Estrange's translations have some degree of political colouring." (Oxford DNB).

Wing A707. ESTC r11059.

Aesop; Adriaan van Baarland; Roger L'Estrange; Avianus; Lorenzo Astemio; & Poggio Bracciolini. Fables, Of Aesop And other Eminent Mythologists: With Morals and Reflections. The Second Edition Corected and Amended. London: R. Sare, B. Took, M. Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, J. Hindmarch, and G. Sawbridge, 1694. Folio. ¹1, A4, (a)-b)4, (c)6, d4, B-2Q4, 2R6, 2S-3O4 [-3O4 last text leaf]. [10],28, [8], 476p. 19th c. calf gilt rules and corner stamps on covers, rebacked in morocco,spine banded, title gilt, marbled endpapers, edges red, old dealerÕs description on f.f.e.p., t.p. darkened and restored in inner margin and at corners, occ. minor repairs, occ. stains and soiling, some old ownerÕs names in text [George Hodgson, George Bethune, George Wrangham.] The first plate, used as a frontis., is of a fowlsÕ parliament and is damaged with some image lost. Extra-illustrated with 62 original etchings trimmed to the margins and inlaid to size by Wenceslaus Hollar & Dirk Stoope. The plates were originally used in OgilbyÕs editions [these are apparently from the rare 1665 ed.] of Aesop. Lacks port. frontis.& engraving of Aesop. Roger L'Estrange (1616-1704), tory journalist and pamphleteer, was notorious in his day for his many works against the dissenters and whigs. He received license of the press in 1692 to seize all seditious books and libels, apprehend the authors, and bring those responsible to "justice"; he used such license liberally, and in effect, reigned in terror over his adversaries until the time of William and Mary. At the same time, he was a rather impecunious man, and so issued a number of translations and editions of classic works. He added later a second volume to this popular work which is not present here.
ÒThe Aesop, on the other hand, was actually an assemblage of fables and facetiae from a variety of sources, ancient and modern, the second volume being wholly unAesopian. The trenchant reflections added to the individual fables possess a strong political animus and were to draw severe criticism from the later whig fabulist Samuel Croxall; but all L'Estrange's translations have some degree of political colouring.Ó [Oxford DNB] Wing A707. ESTC r11059. Mythology. Fables. Tales. English Literature. Classics. Greek. Facetie. Humor. Aesopica. Illustrated.