SUETONE TRANQUILE. - Lot 208

SUETONE TRANQUILE. From the Lives of the XII. Césars. Translated by George de La Boutière Autunois. A Lyon, chez Jean de Tournes, 1556, in-8 bound in cream half-cartonnage with corners, ornate smooth spine, title page, gilt edges, brittle split spine, trimmed copy, slightly short upper margin. 19th century binding. First edition of the French translation by George de La Boutière and first printing of the medallion portraits of the Caesars, illustrating each of the 12 chapters with 12 large initials. Edition adorned with a fine title frame of interlacing, arabesques and 4 masks, with a central medal bearing the effigy of Suetonius. In fine, the beautiful anagrammatic motto of Jean de Tournes. From a typographical point of view," observes Alfred Cartier in his Bibliographie des éditions des Tournes, "the Suetonius of 1556 is certainly one of the most remarkable productions of our de Tournes. It is one of those that can best give an idea of his skill and surety of taste. [...] It is, moreover, much rarer than one might think for a work of this kind, whereas the new edition given in 1569 by Jean II is found more frequently." Cartier, 347 - Brunet V, 584.