Libri quatuor de imitatione Christi, praecipuo regni administro, dicati.

Folio: front.-[8]-338 pp. (occ. faintly brown.)

Contemp. marbled calf, gilt rule and border around a central octogonal inlaid cartouche on covers, richly gilt spine with 5 double orn. bands (sl. faded), brown leather label, gilt orn. inner covers and edges, a.e.g. Good copy.

Beautiful typographical edition for this Joseph Valart (1698-1781) version, here without critical commentary. Dedicated by Pierre-François Didot to Étienne-Charles de Loménie de Brienne, Bishop of Sens, with a "Typographi monitum". Table at the end. Printed in Didot type on Montgolfier d'Annonay vellum paper. The Imprimerie de Monsieur, the king's brother, was directed by P.-Fr. Didot (Didot jeune) from 1779. Beautiful frontispiece "Le Sauveur du monde" engraved by Ignaz Sebastian Klauber after Jacques Stella. Nice binding, possibly English, end 18th-begin. 19th c.
Réf. FRBNF33426644 (= Audenaert 839. - De Backer 425).