Ovid's art of love. In three books. Translated by Mr. Dryden, Mr. Congreve, &c. Together with the remedy of love. To which are added, the court of love. A tale from Chaucer. And the history of love. Adorn'd with cuts [Ars Amatoria] by OVID (43 BC-17 or 18 AD) - 1712

London: printed for J. Tonson; and sold by W. Taylor at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row, 1712. Full Calf. Near Fine. 8vo: [8]174,179-482[pagination irregular but text continuous]pp, with frontispiece and six further copper-engraved plates by Guernier. The History of Love, by Charles Hopkins, with separate title page dated 1709. Contemporary speckled calf, spine gilt in six compartments between raised bands, red morocco lettering piece gilt, edges speckled red. A handsome scarce early edition, binding nicely preserved (beautifully rebacked), pages fresh and bright (faint tide marks to upper margins of a few), plates in rich, dark impressions. Case 252 (b). A reissue of the edition of 1709 with a new title page (Case). Ovid's Art of Love (Ars Amatoria), a manual on seduction and intrigue provides (in its first and second books) instruction to men in meeting and seducing women and in preventing others from stealing them. With the poet's Remedy of Love (Remedia Amoris), it completes his corpus of elegiac, erotic poetry, but it is also, in part, a satire on didactic poetry, offering such advise as Don't Forget Her Birthday!, Let Her Miss You-But Not For Long, and Don't Ask About Her Age. The third book offers similar advice to women: Make-Up, But In Private, Beware of False Lovers, and Try Young and Older Lovers. Sexual matters are dealt with at the end of each book, with, for example, the second book addressing the pleasures of simultaneous orgasm and the third various sexual positions, with women exhorted to choose the most suitable after taking into account the proportions of their own bodies. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.