Twenty Four Fables of Aesop and other Eminent Mythologists

London: Ernest Benn Limited , 1928. First edition. Cloth. Good. 10" by 7" . Marcus Gheeraerts . First edition of this collection of fables and myths adorned with lovely illustrations after Marcus Gheeraerts. Twenty-four fables of Aesop and others collected into one volume, the first trade edition. Including classic tales of 'A Fox and a Raven', 'The Hares and the Frogs,' 'A Fox and Grapes,' and 'A Man and a Satyr' among many others. Rendered into English by Sir Roger L'Estrange (1616-1704), best known for his polemical pamphlet An Account of the Growth of Knavery, an attack on the parliamentary opposition to Charles II. His translations of Aesop's fables are considered to be his greatest work, and saw their first publication in 1692. The first trade edition illustrated with lovely etchings after designs of Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder, Flemish painter in the sixteenth-century known for a print depicting a map of Bruges, as well as his illustrations for a Dutch translation to Aesop's fables. A fine copy internally.Featuring Bertram E. Shuttleworth's bookplate to front pastedown, English actor, he donated 378 volumes to the Bodleian Libraries from his vast collection of volumes which included a first edition of The School of Scandal, rare and valuable play. In the original publisher's full cloth binding with decorative gilt to boards. Externally sound with shelf wear, some bumping to head and tail of spine and extremities, few chipping and minor loss to joints, damp marks to front and rear boards. Bertram E. Shuttleworth's pictorial bookplate to front pastedown. Minor bookworm mark to rear endpapers, not affecting any of the text. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean. Illustrated with etchings in text. Good