Les Oeuvres de M. Francois Rabelais, Docteur in Medecine.

UNCOMMON EDITION IN CONTEMPORARY BINDING

With woodcut of bottle, strong impression, on FFF8. 

16mo (119 x 76mm). 402, [10]; 576, [12]; 210, [38]pp. Contemporary Lyonnese blind-tooled calf, covers with double fillet in blind, central arabesque oval stamp, remains of green cloth ties (loss to length of spine revealing bands and quires, joints cracked but holding, extremities worn, stain to upper cover). 

Lyon: Jean Martin, 

A lovely copy of a rare edition of Rabelais' complete works, in contemporary binding, untouched. The text for the present edition is based on that in the previous Martin printing of 1586. 

Rabelais' infamous comic masterpiece about the giant Gargantua and his son, Pantagruel runs the gamut from burlesque to satire and as such, was condemned by the Sorbonne for its obscenity and heresy; nevertheless the author enjoyed the protection and support of several important patrons, including Margaret, Queen of Navarre, and the work itself was immensely popular.

Provenance: 1. Price inscription on front endpaper in early hand, "Nic. Hare pret. 4s". 2. Ownership inscription 'Robt. Digby' on title page in eighteenth-century hand. 3. Quaritch note and price code on rear pastedown. 4. Exlibris of Kenneth Rapoport on front pastedown. 

Rawles & Screech, 74. Not in Plan (Plan 112, dated 1588 and with false imprint 'Jean Martin', is an edition distinct from this one). 

OCLC: US: Winterthur, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland, Princeton. UK: BL only.

Stock Code: 246885