[DRYDEN, John (1631-1700), translator]. The History of the League. Written in French by Monsieur Maimbourg. Translated into English According to His Majesty's Command. By Mr. Dryden. London: Printed for M. Flesher for Jacob Tonson, 1684. 8vo. [60], 524, 731-966, 49, [43] pp. Engraved frontispiece. Contemporary calf, rebacked to style, burgundy gilt morocco lettering label. FIRST EDITION OF DRYDEN'S ENGLISH TRANSLATION.
Condition
Spine soiled, boards with some wear, scuffs, hinges repaired, old ink signature on title-page, some browning, soiling. A very good copy.
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"The break in signatures and pagination is evidently the result of division of copy between two compositors as may be seen by the variation in typography. The second compositor began his portion with the third alphabet. His pagination was intended to correspond but was off by ten for it begins with 721, not 731" (Pforzheimer). A translation of Jesuit historian Louis Maimbourg's (1610-1686) Historie de la Ligue. Dryden also contributed a dedication and a postscript. This book is the Maimbourg's history of the religious wars and the Catholic League in France. Dryden's translation is pro-royalty. Macdonald 132. Pforzheimer 328. Wing M292.