*Stéphane MALLARMÉ. Les Dieux antiques. A new illustrated mythology based on George W. Cox and the works of modern science, for the use of high schools, boarding schools, schools and people of the world. Decorated with 260 vignettes. Paris, Rothschild, 1880 [late 1879]; large br. in-8, ill. covers with flaps, eggplant basane spine folder, 2 large green maroq. gilt-titled and cold-set etiqs, antique bordered slipcase. Even if the translator Mallarmé is at pains to conceal his "interference", he makes a point of pointing out his additions, however minimal they may be according to Austin, unless one considers the entire text included in the Pléiade (with the justified exception of the anthology in fine of poems by Banville, Hugo and Leconte de Lisle) by Marchal, who considers that "the perspective of the English original" is significantly altered (Pl.II, 2003 p. 1814). It would not be surprising if vignettes also featured among the 600 in La Vie antique des Grecs et Romains, the updated archaeology manual by Guhl and Koner, published by Rothschild in 1880, which won numerous awards. Although Mallarmé considered several publishers (Lemerre, Pagès, Hetzel...) from 1871 onwards, he must have remembered the 5th deluxe ed. of Champfleury's Les Chats in 1870 with the same J. Rothschild, "Libraire de la Société botanique de France", still printed in Strasbourg and illustrated with an etching by his friend Manet. At the high price of 7 fr. but for what use! with a beautiful but fragile cover with gilt vertical stripes (here slightly dusted on the 1st plate). Two soiled pp., 12 of which chipped, otherwise in good, partly uncut condition.