[CORNEILLE Pierre (1606-1684)]

The theatre of Pierre Corneille, with commentaries, &c. &c. &c. S.l. [Geneva], s.éd. [Cramer], 1764. 12 volumes in-8 (200 x 127 mm). Full blond speckled calf, triple gilt fillet in frame, smooth and ornate spines, brown morocco title-pieces, tan morocco end-pieces, gilt edges, marbled paper end-pieces, bookmarks preserved (period bindings). Edition commented by Voltaire, who had it printed by subscription by the Cramer brothers in Geneva. Illustrated with a frontispiece engraved by Watelet in 1762 after Pierre, and 34 hors-texte figures after Gravelot, engraved by Baquoy, Flipart, Lemire, Longueil, Prévost, etc. The first volume contains the portrait of the author engraved by Ficquet after Le Brun, as well as a long handwritten commentary from the beginning of the 19th century on Racine, "ardent friend of liberty. PROVENANCE Period initial "B" in brown ink on the first flyleaves of each volume; "M. arnaud" in brown ink on the flyleaf of the first volume. (Bindings in used condition (headbands damaged, spine split, epidermis, slight loss); general good interior condition despite browned pages, scattered freckles, slight paper loss on the title page of volume XII at the lower corner).