The Works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Vol. 1 & 2: None

London: Grant Richards, 1904. First Edition. Hardcover. W. Heath Robinson. None. None White boards, clean, has some damage caused by bookworms, both volumes were treated with long term freezing lasting 6 weeks. No foxing on pages. Crisp, clean illustrations. Some pages have a deck led edge, tight strong binding. Bug damage is primarily in the covers gutter with the spine. See photos. pp. xliv, 350; xlii, 377. Heavy 4to. Bound in cream woven cloth with gilt embellishments to front board and spine blocked in gilt rules. W. Heath Robinson illusts. The endpapers are illustrated (both volumes bearing the bookplate of the former owner). The engraved frontispiece of volume I is loose but present. All other illustrations present, as called for. The cloth shows some soiling (unfortunately quite easy to do with such a light cloth binding), and the spines are a bit darkened. All corners are a bit bumped. Hinges a trifle tender, but endpapers tight (if a bit foxed). Occasional very light foxing to margins. Overall, a handsome set in good plus condition. Complete two volume set in original decorated cloth binding,'Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds & Sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel'. Rabelais (1494?-1553?) was a French satirist and humorist who first published 'Grandes et inestimables Croniques du grand et enorme geant Gargantua' anonymously in 1532. This was followed shortly thereafter by 'Pantagruel', both of which titles proved very popular, although frowned upon by the censors and authorities. This edition appears to have been based on the first English translation of this work, undertaken between 1653 and 1694 by Thomas Urquhart (first three books) and P. le Motteux (last two books). First Robinson-illustrated edition. Two volumes, thick large 4to, publisher's cream pictorial cloth stamped in gilt. Illustrated with photogravure frontispieces and 98 full-page b/w plates and numerous vignette drawings and grotesques. Spines just minimally sunned. A bright, clean set, lavishly illustrated. Francois Rabelais (also known under the pseudonym of Alcofribas Nasier, anagram of Francois Rabelais, or even under that of Seraphin Calobarsy) is a French humanist writer of the Renaissance, born at La Devinière in Seuilly, near Chinon (in the former province of Touraine), in 1483 or 1494 according to sources, and died in Paris on April 9, 1553. Oversized or heavy volume, additional shipping charges will apply. Please ask for additional photos prior to purchasing. We are happy to send additional photos. 1LR