RIVAROL Antoine de - DANTE. L'Enfer. Poem by Dante, new translation. London and Paris, Mérigot le jeune and Barrois le jeune, 1783; in-8 of xlviii-503-[1] pp, Restoration binding in glazed blond calf, cold-engraved lozenge plate with radiating decoration in the centre of the boards, gilt and cold-engraved framing laces, spine ribbed and decorated with fleurons and arabesques and cold-engraved and gilt fillets, black parts, gilt inner gilt border, edges gilt. First edition of the translation by Antoine de Rivarol. This is the first work by Rivarol (1753-1801), who undertook it on the basis of a simple quip by Voltaire: "a challenge from M. Voltaire engaged me, and a rather piquant joke completed my determination. This great man said out loud that I would never translate Dante in a sustained style, or that I would change my skin three times before getting out of that devil's clutches". Extremely refined binding from the library of the princes of Bauffremont (stamp).