[NOSTRADAMUS, Michel].
Vingt prophéties de Michel de Nostradamus, derniérement trouvées manuscrites dans une célèbre bibliotheque des Pays-Bas. Avec explication et figures.
Liège, [ca. 1789]. 8vo. With 20 engraved emblems at the beginning of each chapter, several by Pieter Balthazar Bouttats. Contemporary mottled, tanned sheepskin, gold-tooled spine, marbled edges. VIII, 90, [1], [1 blank] pp.
€ 2,500
Rare first edition of a work containing 20 adapted prophecies of the French apothecary and seer Michel de Nostradamus (1503-1566). Nostradamus's predictions, first published in 1555 as Les proheties, are here edited by an anonymous author, giving an explanation of and opinion about each prophecy. Each prophecy is preceded by an oval emblematic engraving, 6 signed by the Antwerp-based engraver Pieter Balthazar Bouttats (1666-1756). Since the engravings don't relate to the text, they were probably originally made to illustrate an earlier work, and were reused in the present work.
With bookplate. Browned, with some occasional small spots or stains, but otherwise in good condition. Binding worn along the extremities, bottom of spine damaged. Chomarat, M. & J.-P. Laroche, Bibliographie Nostradamus (Baden-Baden 1989) 372; WorldCat (6 copies).
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