[Balzac]. MOLIÈRE. Complete works, decorated with thirty vignettes drawn by Devéria and engraved by Thompson. Paris, Urbain Canel, Baudouin frères, Delongchamps, 1826; two-column in-8 of [4]-iv-553-[1] pp. bound circa 1900 in midnight blue half morocco with corners, gilt fillet, spine with decorated nerves, gilt edges. This is a famous edition because the unsigned Vie de Molière was written by Honoré de Balzac. In April 1825, Balzac signed two partnership contracts with the publisher Urbain Canel for the publication of the complete works of La Fontaine and Molière. These compact editions, printed in the "Mignonne" typeface - featured in the catalogue of the type foundry run by Balzac in 1826-1828 - sold very poorly. Balzac, a victim of his inexperience and more or less delicate partners, thus incurred his first debts. The title is decorated with a portrait of Molière and 30 headbands for each play, drawn by Achille Devéria and wood-engraved by Charles Thompson. Copy with 53 additional engravings: The complete suite of 33 numbered figures and 2 portraits of Molière after Moreau - first published for the Bret 1773 edition (Lacroix, Iconographie moliéresque, p. 29). - The suite of 16 (out of 18) figures by Desenne - first published for the Aimé Martin edition 1824-1826 (Lacroix, Iconographie moliéresque, p. 30). - Two unsigned portraits of Molière: the first engraved by Hopwood, the second dated 1824. A very fine copy, bound in the manner of Durvand, from the library of J. Berthon with his engraved bookplate and a handwritten bibliographical note. Vicaire and Hanotaux, La Jeunesse de Balzac. Balzac imprimeur, p. 336.