[LA FAYETTE (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, comtesse d - Lot 77

[LA FAYETTE (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, comtesse de)]. La Princesse de Clèves. Paris, par la Compagnie des Libraires Associez, 1719. 4 parts in 3 volumes bound in 1 volume in-12 of (8)-103-(1 bl.) ; 105 to 207-(3 bl.) ; and (2)-210 p. [the fourth part begins on p. 108 and has no separate title page]. Tan basane, spine ribbed and decorated, title page (period binding). Heavy spotting. With a long old handwritten note on the first endpaper referring to the former attributions (now erroneous) of the work published without author's name: "Ce Roman qui est si estimé de Mr de Fontenelle et de Mr de Segrais auteur de la traduction des Georgiques de Virgile en vers françois. Mr le fameux Duc de La Rochefoucaut [sic] et Mde de La Fayette ont contribué au dit roman." A good early edition of this fundamental novel of French literature, the original of which dates back to 1678 (Tchemerzine VI, 357).