COLONNA (Francesco). Hypnerotomachie, ou Discours du songe de Poliphile, Deduisant comme Amour le combat à l'occasion de Polia. Soubz la fiction de quoy l'aucteur monstrant que toutes choses terrestres ne sont que vanité, tracte de plusieurs matieres profitables, & dignes de memoire. Paris : Jacques Kerver, 1561. - In-folio, 312 x 205 : (6 ff.), 157 ff., (1 f.). Tan calf, ornate spine, red edges (18th-century binding). Brunet, IV, 779. - D. Cordellier, Luca Penni, un disciple de Raphaël à Fontainebleau, Paris, 2012, pp. 111-113. Third edition of the French translation by Jean Martin (15..-1553?), following those of 1546 and 1554. Francesco Colonna (1433-1527), a Venetian Dominican monk, is traditionally considered the author of The Dream of Poliphilo (Hypnerotomachia Poliphili), which he is said to have composed in 1467. A novel of fascinating singularity, both in its conception and language (a mixture of Latin, Italian and Greek), it recounts Poliphilo's dreamlike, initiatory journey to the island of Love, Cythera, blending symbolism, architecture, mythology and allegory. Printed for the first time by Aldus in 1499, it is considered one of the "most beautiful books in the world", featuring an abundance of extremely refined and spellbinding illustrations; and exerted a major influence on literature and the arts in the 16th and 17th centuries, inspiring generations of artists and writers. The Kerver edition (1546), translated and adapted by Jean Martin, simplifies the complex language of the original: interminable enumerations are summarized, labyrinthine descriptions clarified, and Greek or Latin phrases translated (sometimes with deliberate misinterpretations to soften certain passages). Despite these adaptations, the mysterious acrostic of the first chapters is preserved: "Poliam frater Franciscus Columna peramavit" ("Brother Francesco Colonna loved Polia intensely"). This 1561 edition is very close to the second of 1554. "The title page mentions Kerver's new address, which has changed from the sign of the "Deux colonnes" to that of "La Licorne". Jean Martin's text has been recomposed without modification. New lettering appears only in the preliminaries, and the publisher has introduced a band at the head of each chapter. The Greek texts, printed in larger type, are more legible. The engravings are the same: the one at the bottom of folio 22 has been reversed" (site architectura.univ-tours.fr/livres-notice/ensba_1322b/). It features the famous illustrations from the first French edition (1546), including the superb title frame recently attributed by Dominique Cordellier to Luca Penni, and 181 woodcuts, 13 of which are full-page. Although inspired by the 1499 princeps edition, these woodcuts, attributed to Jean Goujon or Jean Cousin, are original creations that bear witness to the art and genius of the French Renaissance. Only one engraving has been significantly altered: that on folio B6 verso, depicting an antique door with columns. In the 1546 edition, this illustration was not very accurate - the capitals were missing, the drawing was shapeless, and comments and figures cluttered the composition. In the revised version, the columns now have capitals, inspired by the Doric order, and the figures and comments have disappeared. This change reveals a greater attention to architectural rigor, reflecting a more pronounced aesthetic and technical concern. The last leaf includes the beautiful Kerver mark. Example in 18th-century binding, enriched with several hundred blank leaves following the text, the first of which bears handwritten bibliographical notes. It comes from the library of Edward Lee Childe (1838-1911), nephew of the Southern general Robert Lee, friend of Prosper Mérimée and husband of the woman of letters Blanche de Triqueti (1837-1886). Lacking the head cover, worm work to the last box, some wear rubbing, dull corners, ink stains on the second board. Title frame slightly cut, small tears at top of same leaf with damage to engraving. A few small damp spots, not serious. Otherwise, the interior is in very good condition. Provenance: Edward Lee Childe, with bookplate.