136 - [DEMONOLOGY]. BELLEFOREST, François de; BOAISTUEAU, Pierre; and TESSERANT, Claude de. Wondrous Tales Drawn from Various Famous Greek and Latin Authors, Both Sacred and Secular.

[DEMONOLOGY]. BELLEFOREST, François de; BOAISTUEAU, Pierre; and TESSERANT, Claude de. Wondrous Tales Drawn from Various Famous Greek and Latin Authors, Both Sacred and Secular. The first volume of this masterpiece of demonology, initiated by Pierre Boaistuau, cataloging the monstrous beings and inexplicable phenomena described by ancient authors, which are strikingly illustrated by the numerous woodcut vignettes scattered throughout the text. Paris, Published by Hierome de Marnef and the widow of Guillaume Cauellat, 1583. In-16 (120 x 80 mm), brown root-cut sheepskin, spine with 4 raised bands highlighted by a gold fillet, gold volutes and fleurons between the bands, title label in pine-green morocco, speckled edges, paper endpapers and linings decorated with blue cross-hatching, speckled edges (later binding). 10 unnumbered folios, 195 folios, and 3 unnumbered folios of endpapers; numerous woodcut vignettes in the text; several ornamental initials. Binding rubbed, small tear in the leather on the spine, one jaw split 2 cm. Scattered foxing, browning, and water stains; tear with a small loss in the margin of p. 14. Upper margins trimmed. First volume of this masterpiece of Renaissance demonology and prodigies, in which Pierre Boaistuau (1520–1566) catalogs the anomalies of nature, miraculous events, celestial phenomena, and anatomical monstrosities described by ancient Greek and Latin authors. It is illustrated with superb woodcut vignettes depicting the devils and other monsters that abound in these stories. [Caillet, 1250] From the Decaïeu collection, with a bookplate pasted to the inside back cover. A pleasant copy.