8vo. 302pp, [30]. Title page in red and black, with an additional engraved title page. Contemporary blind-stamped speckled calf, contrasting gilt-tooled brown morocco lettering-piece. Lightly rubbed and marked, with surface wear to boards. Contemporary inked ownership inscription of John Bond to FFEP. Very occasional light scattered spotting, otherwise internally clean and crisp.

A 'poetic history' intended for teaching ancient Greek and Roman mythology by Pierre Gautruche (1602-1681), French Jesuit, professor of philosophy, theology and mathematics. This edition, in the original French, is a reprint of the 1712 edition also published in Amsterdam. Gautruche, a tutor and prefect of the college of Caen, gained the respect of Pierre-Daniel Huet, Bishop of Avranches, for his progress in mathematics. This work, divided into two books of 'Principal Gods' and 'Demi-gods' respectively, recounts the histories of the Greek pantheon and their famous children, among them Hercules, Theseus and Jason.

Provenance: The Bonds of Creech Grange, Purbeck, Dorset, either John Bond (1678-1744) or his son John Bond (1717-1784).