It is unknown whether Aesop was a historical figure. Much like Homer, nothing explicitly denoting his authorship survives, and our only knowledge comes from sources later in the Classical period. Nevertheless, the Fables serve as moral, often satirical, stories and remain popular to this day.

One of the most popular editions of Aesop’s Fables was that of Gabriele Faerno, published posthumously in 1563. Faerno translated 100 fables into Latin verse, apparently at the behest of Pope Pius IV, to serve as moral tales to educate young children. The collection not only included fables by Aesop and other ancient fabulists but also examples of medieval folklore. Faerno is also notable for his inclusion of the moral of the story at the end of each of the tales. The work went through around 40 editions and was translated into several European languages.

This is the 1743 edition of the French translation by Charles Perrault, first published in 1699. Perrault is perhaps best known for his collections of many European folk tales, which included such stories as Le petit chaperon rouge (‘Little Red Riding Hood’), La Belle au bois dormant (‘Sleeping Beauty’) and Cendrillon (‘Cinderella’).

It has been conjectured that this extravagant binding was done for Frederick Prince of Wales (on account of the date of the book) but stylistically it is more likely to have been done for George III or George IV when Prince of Wales, perhaps to serve as a school book for the young princes.

This book was one of those selected by the Royal Librarian, Richard Rivington Holmes, in 1893 as a fine example of bookbinding in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle

Binding information

Full leather bound in navy blue goatskin by the Carteret binder, with inlaid and onlaid red and yellow leather. Yellow leather is in the shape of five pointed stars. Extensive gold tooling, with Prince of Wales feathers badge to centre, and also featuring many different small flowers of petals, buds, roses, stemmed flowers, tulips, as wells as six-pointed stars, Garter stars, plumes, and pointille dots, with triangular patterned roll tool border to edges. Spine divided into six compartments, with lettering to second, others tooled with Garter star, scalloped edges and circles, with small crowned dolphins and fleurs-de-lis to bottom. Inside doublures of brown speckled calf with Prince of Wales feathers badge to centre, surrounded by gold tooling of small tools built up to form an oval (tools mostly florals and pointille dots) with cornerpieces and border built up of same tools found on outside of boards, with scalloped pattern.