[The Hague] a la Haye: Pierre de Hondt, 1758-1759. Hardcover. This remarkable "Historical Dictionary," offers critical and literary memoirs about the life and works of various distinguished persons, particularly in the republic of letters, This book was done as a complementary work to the famous early 18th century dictionary of Pierre Bayle. Prosper Marchand (1678-1756) was a Huguenot refugee who became a bookseller, bibliographer, and publisher in the Netherlands. Marchand died before the manuscript was complete, but he had commissioned his friend and executor, Jean Nicolas Sebastien Allamand, to review and publish it. Allamand spent four years putting Marchand's notes in order. They were mostly written on confused and scattered scraps of paper. In his introduction, Allamand describes all the pains he had to take to restore these notes and to supplement the omissions of Marchand. The result is this monumental bound folio with two painstakingly printed volumes on on seemingly everyone and everything literary. Printed in double columns with numerous shoulder footnotes on most pages. At the end of Volume II are an alphabetical list of articles, a table of subjects, and a catalog of books published by Pierre de Hondt. Bound in three quarter brown leather with decorated brown paper boards. Six raised bands to spine with brown leather title label in second compartment. Chipping and small tears to leather as well as to paper covers. Interior pages show light aging but are otherwise clean and bright. Offsetting on free endpapers from leather borders on pastedowns. Previous owner bookplate to front pastedowns and small stamp on title page of volume I "Holstein-Holsteinborg." In very good condition. Volume I: 330 pages plus publisher catalog; Volume II: 328 pages plus lists and publisher catalog. FRE/042415. Very Good.

Item #28170

Price: $600.00