LA PLACE, Pierre Antoine de] - Amusemens, gayetés et frivoli - Lot 698

LA PLACE, Pierre Antoine de] - Amusemens, gayetés et frivolités poétiques. Par un bon Picard . London (Bruxelles, Adrien-François Pion), 1783. In-8, 135 (3) pp. slightly yellowed paper, red half-chag. with corners, spine decorated with cold wires, gilt head (BELLEVALLÉE). GAY I, 197. Edition printed by Adrien-François Pion on the presses of the Prince de Ligne in Brussels. After Coup d'œil sur Belœil, Colette et Lucas and other works, this appears to be the last book printed on these private presses, believed to have been established in Belœil for over 150 years. Subsequent Belœil editions were produced in Brussels by Pion and his son-in-law Haÿez. This collection of satirical and saucy tales, songs and epigrams was written by Pierre-Antoine de La Place (1707-1793), a familiar face at the Prince's court. A native of Calais, this perpetual secretary of the Académie d'Arras was best known for his translations of English novels and plays. We owe him the first attempt at translating Shakespeare's major plays, published in his Théâtre anglais (1745-1748). Volume printed by the Prince de Ligne's private press. (See Bruno Liesen, Charles-Joseph, Pince de Ligne, Catalogue published on the occasion of the colloquium of the Association internationale de bibliophilie en Belgique, September 2010, no. 100).