Aesop's Fables with his Life: in English, French and Latin. Newly Translated. Illustrated with One Hundred and Twelve Sculptures

London: H. Hills jun. for Francis Barlow, 1687. Second Barlow Edition. Hardcover. Good +. Folio (30.8 by 19.4 cm). [10], 40, 40, 17, 2-221, [3: table] pp; engraved title, letterpress title, engraved arms of the dedicatee, William Cavendish, Earl of Devonshire; engraved portrait of Aesop; 30 (of 31) numbered full page copperplate engraved plates in the Life; 110 half page engraved plates accompany the fables. 18th-century paneled calf (expertly rebacked, retaining original backstrip), borders and spine tooled in gilt. Light staining and scuffs to covers. Occasional light stains and smudges throughout (mostly marginal); a few careful repairs at torn margins; (truncated) professional repair at margin plate 2 just encroaching on printed surface; 3 cm perforation in plate (Fable XII); moderate staining at plate (Fable XLVIII); Text block good with otherwise clean plates, complete but for the so-called 'indecent' or 'scandalous' plate 17 (often defaced or lacking). A good or better copy, handsomely bound.

Second Barlow edition of these superbly illustrated Fables of Aesop, first published in 1666. Each of the 110 fables include a half-page engraving, text (fable and moral) in both French and Latin, along with new captions in English by Aphra Behn. The English Life of Aesop is likely a reissue of the original sheets from the small-paper copies of the 1666 edition; the French Life is a new version. They are interspersed with thirty full-page plates, mostly signed by Thomas Dudley (the unsigned plates were engraved by Barlow).

According to his contemporary, the engraver and antiquary George Vertue, Francis Barlow (d. 1704) came from Lincolnshire and apprenticed in London to the portrait painter William Shepherd. Early and late in his career, Barlow designed sets of natural history plates, which were etched by Wenceslaus Hollar, Richard Gaywood, Jan Griffier, and Francis Place. These prints proved to be an important source for artists and craftsmen of succeeding generations. Along with his engravings for Edward Benlowes's Theophilia (1652), the present suite of illustrations for Aesop's Fables are considered to be Barlow's finest. The preliminary drawings reside in the British Museum. While Barlow's house at "the Golden Eagle in New-Street, near Shoo-lane" was burnt in the great fire, the copper plates for the volume survived. (ODNB).

Provenance and annotations: "The Gift of Rich. Wesley Esq to his Son Garret Wesley Year of Christ 1741" entered in black ink at the front endleaf; Garret's entry appears beside the imprint at the title and his "cypher" substitution chart for Greek and English letters appears beneath the gift dediction. A later owner ("E.R.") has noted in pencil at the pastedown that this book belonged to R. and G. Wesley, "ancestors of the Wellesley Family (see the autographs for the letter afterwards to the Marquis Wellesley Revnd Dr Wellesley, at whose sale I bought it." At the front pastedown is the bookplate of George Aiken Batchelder (1860-1936), who was Vice President E. H. Rollins & Sons, Bonds, San Francisco, California. The bookplate partially obscures another note in pencil which appears to mention the absence of the 'indecent' plate. References: ESTC R22991; S. O'Connell, "Barlow, Francis" [in:] ODNB online; Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, vol. I, p. 163 (International News Service, 1913).

Full title and imprint: AEsop's fables with his life: in English, French and Latin. Newly translated. Illustrated with one hundred and twelve sculptures. To this edition are likewise added, thirty one New figures representing his life. By Francis Barlow. London: Printed by H. Hills jun. for Francis Barlow, and are to be sold by Chr. Wilkinson at the Black-boy against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street, Tho. Fox in Westminster-hall, and Henry Faitborne at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-yard. M.DC.LXXXVII. [1687]. (Inventory #: 30747)