METASTASIO (Pietro). Poesie del signor abate Pietro Metastasio. Paris: Veuve Quillau, 1755 (volumes 1 to 9); Paris: G. C. Molini, 1769 (volume 10), 1783 (volumes 11 and 12). - 12 volumes in-8, 182 x 112: frontispiece, title, cciv, 319 pp.; title, 464 pp.; title, 463 pp.; title, 459 pp., (1 blank f.) (1 blank f.); title, 460 pp. (1 blank f.); title, 468 pp. (2 ff.); title, xxxij, 460 pp.; title, 3, 364 pp. (2 ff.), pp. 365-534; title, 492 pp. Red morocco, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, smooth spine decorated, gilt border inside, gilt edges (Bradel). Beautiful edition of Pietro Metastasio's works, dedicated to the Marquise de Pompadour. It is illustrated with a frontispiece engraved by Sornique after Charles Eisen, a nice unsigned vignette at the head of the epistle, and 12 beautiful engraved titles. Precious copy on large paper, in-8 format, complete with the last three volumes printed by Molini in 1769 and 1783, which are often missing. The set has been very nicely bound uniformly by one of the members of the Bradel family. The label with his name stuck in the corner on the verso of the first endpaper of the first volume, gives the address "Rue St Jean de Latran No 9. Hôtel du Collège de France". It is known that this bookbinder practiced mainly in the early nineteenth century. Spine very slightly lightened, some places have been dyed in red. A few rare scratches without gravity. Small cut on the back of the last volume. In volume 7, restoration in the upper left corner of folio A1 and in the upper right corner of folio A4 with damage to the text. Some rare scattered foxing.