Explore Collections Explore The Collections
You are here: CollectionsOnline  /  Le dictionnaire royal, françois-anglois et anglois-françois, tiré des meilleurs auteurs, qui ont écrit dans ces deux langues; par Mr. A. Boyer. Nouvelle édition, revue, corrigée, & augmentée considérablement; avec une dissertation sur la prosodie françoise, par Mr. de la S.R. ...
  • Image Not Yet Available
Boyer, Abel (1667--1729)
[Royal dictionary. 1756]
Le dictionnaire royal, françois-anglois et anglois-françois, tiré des meilleurs auteurs, qui ont écrit dans ces deux langues; par Mr. A. Boyer. Nouvelle édition, revue, corrigée, & augmentée considérablement; avec une dissertation sur la prosodie françoise, par Mr. de la S.R. ...
A Londres (Place), chez W. Innys, J. Brotherton, R. Ware, W. Meadows, T. Meighan, J. & P. Knapton, J. Brindley, J. Clarke, S. Birt, D. Browne, T. Dongman, J. Shuckburgh, C. Hitch, J. Hodges, S. Austen, A. Millar,, 1756.
2 vols ; 26.0 cm. (4º)
I: [4], xx, 564, [4] p.
II: [4], viii, 658 [i.e. 668], [4] p.

The English-French dictionary has a separate title-page in English: The royal dictionary, English and French, and French and English, ... . Boyer's Royal Dictionary was first published in 1699 and was an immediate success, going through numerous legitimate and pirated editions and abridgments in London and abroad and being especially popular in the classroom. ESTC records the imprint date in vol. I as 'M.DCC.LVL' [sic] but the Soane copy appears to have been corrected in the press. ESTC t114199; Alston XII.660.

Copy Notes Inscribed in ink on vol. I title-page John Soan[e] - 1780 (the 'e' added subsequently). A short list of ink and pencil vocabulary notes on rear pastedown, possibly by Soane but possibly by an earlier owner. This is almost certainly the 'Dictionary' purchased by Soane in Florence in late April 1780 for 48 [paolini] in preparation for his return journey to England through France, together with a copy of Dutens's Itinéraire des routes les plus fréquentées, 1777 (q.v.). See P. de la Ruffinière du Prey, John Soane's architectural education (New York and London 1977), p. 295. It must also be the copy of 'Boyers Grm' recorded in the manuscript list of Soane's library circa 1782, as no other work by Boyer apart from a copy of the 1759 edition (q.v.) is now in the Soane Museum. See SM vol. 162, fols. 144r to 141v; transcribed in Du Prey, op. cit., pp. 354--363.

Binding C18th mottled calf, gilt double-ruled borders, gilt-panelled spine incorporating thistle motif, dark red morocco spine-label reading 'Boyer's Dictionary'. Two volumes bound in one.

Reference Number 1256

Additional Names R., de la S., Mr; Durand, D


If you have any further information about this book,
please contact us:

books@soane.org.uk