VOLTAIRE. Romans et contes. Bouillon: at the expense of the Typographical Society, 1778. - 3 volumes in-8, tan glazed calf, double cold fillet and gilt arms in the center of the boards, spine with ornate nerves, red edges (Closs). The most beautiful early illustrated edition of Voltaire's "Romans et Contes", decorated with a portrait of the author after La Tour, 13 vignettes and 57 engravings outside the text after Monnet, Marillier, Martini and Moreau. Copy of the politician Dominique Clément de Ris (1750-1827), including his arms on the boards and this note from his son on the false title: " This edition of the Contes de Voltaire comes from the library of my father in Beauvais sur Cher. Cte Clément de Ris. 1853. " The latter, whose name was Louis Clément de Ris, was in fact Dominique's adopted son. He died in 1882 and was a museographer, collector and director of the Versailles museum from 1876 to 1882. The copy was acquired at the sale of the latter by the Baron de Bellet, whose ex-libris appears on the back covers. It is probably the banker and politician Eugène Roissard de Bellet (1836-1918). A nice copy. Seven plates have been rearranged and reassembled (volume 1 pages 246 and 263, volume 2 page 64 and volume 3 pages 8, 168, 188 and 190). The table of the third volume has been bound at the end instead of after the title. Pages 97 to 102 are missing at the end of the same volume, including the "Table de L'Homme aux 40 écus" and "L'Avis au relieur pour placer les Estampes des Romans & Contes de M. de Voltaire". The title of volume three has a typographical vignette and not engraved in intaglio as on the other titles. Provenance : Dominique Clément de Ris. - Louis Clément de Ris. - Baron de Bellet.