25 volumes. Together 15.310 pages. Contemporary boards. 21.5 cm (Details: Tasteless library board bindings. Lithographed portrait of De Feller in the first volume. Printed in 2 columns. Without the 2 or more supplement volumes which were published later) (Condition: Bindings scuffed. Joints weak. Small traces of sellotape at the bottom of the spines. Paper yellowing. Some foxing. Paper of the first and last leaves of a few volumes browning. Some very light moulding of the paper at the margins of a few leaves of 2 volumes. Occasional decent and small paper repairs. A less decent paper repair at the last 4 leaves of the 7th volume, causing some loss of text) (Note: This is a Dutch translation and adaptation for the Netherlands of the famous 'Dictionnaire historique, ou histoire abrégée de tous les hommes qui se sont fait un nom par le genie, les talents, les vertus, les erreurs', originally compiled by the Belgian Jesuit author and biographer François-Xavier de Feller, and first published at Augsburg, 1781-1784, in 6 volumes. From 1837 the work was continued under the title 'Biographie universelle'. § De Feller, 1735-1802, 'was born at Brussels. In 1752 he entered a school of the Jesuits at Reims, where he manifested a great aptitude for mathematics and physical science. He commenced his novitiate two years afterwards, and in testimony of his admiration for the apostle of India added Xavier to his surname. On the expiry of his novitiate he became professor at Athénée de Luxembourg, and afterwards at Liège. In 1764 he was appointed to the professorship of theology at Tyrnau in Hungary, but in 1771 he returned to Belgium and continued to discharge his professorial duties at Liège till the suppression of the Jesuit Order in 1773. The remainder of his life he devoted to study, travel and literature. On the invasion of Belgium by the French in 1794 he went to Paderborn, and remained there two years, after which he took up his residence at Regensburg, where he died in 1802. Feller's works exceed 120 volumes'. (Wikpedia) § 'Feller was very amiable and talented, gifted with a prodigious memory, and combined diligent study with these abilities. His superiors had given him every opportunity during his travels of cultivating all the branches of science then known, and the wealth and diversity of his writings prove that he made good use of his advantages. All his writings attest his allegiance to the Jesuit Order and his untiring zeal for the Catholic religion and the Holy See. (...) His next work of importance is entitled 'Dictionnaire historique, ou histoire abrégée de tous les hommes qui se sont fait un nom par le genie, les talents, les vertus, les erreurs, etc., depuis le commencement du monde jusqu'a nos jours' (Augsburg, 1781-1784), 6 vols. He shaped this work on the model of a simular one by Chaudon without giving the latter due credit; he also showed a certain amount of prejudice, for the most part lauding the Jesuits as masters of science and underrating others, especially those suspected of Jansenistic tendencies. This work was frequently revised and republished, e.g. by Ecury, Ganith, Henrion, Pérennès, Simonin, Weiss, etc.; from 1837 it appeared under the title of 'Biographie universelle'. (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, volume 6)) (Heavy set, requires extra shipping costs)