Pierre-Augustin Caron de BEAUMARCHAIS

Very rare first edition (cf. Monglond VII 661).

Contemporary half brown sheep with corners, smooth spine gilt with floral tools and fillets, rubbing to spine and joints, marbled paper boards, grey endpapers and pastedowns, corners softened, yellow edges.

Pleasant, clean interior.

A shadowy figure who was by turns (and at times simultaneously) a secret agent, Tallien’s associate, a Revolutionary pamphleteer, and a double agent under the Directory and the Empire, Méhée de La Touche (1762–1827) left in 1784 on a covert diplomatic mission to Poland and Russia, from which he was expelled at the end of 1791. The correspondence he publishes here (running from 1788 to July 1791)...

First edition, of great rarity (cf. Sabin 4182).

Bradel-style binding in full orange paper-covered boards, with a brown shagreen spine label; modern binding.

A very good copy.

A vindication of France’s conduct during the uprising of the British colonies in America.

First edition, one of 26 numbered copies on Vélin du Marais, the only deluxe copies.

Rare and appealing copy.

Le Barbier de Séville and Le Mariage de Figaro bound in one volume.

Modern half brown chagrin binding, sides in yellow and black marbled paper, spine with five raised bands, author, titles and dates gilt, one gilt fleuron, stone paper doublures. Corners lightly rubbed, leaves lightly browned, a few scattered spots of foxing and soiling, a tear to the title page, a modern repair to the upper margin of the first leaves.

Rare piracies bearing the date of the first edition and issued by the same publisher.

First edition of this complete collection, including the portrait of Cochin as frontispiece. Some of the memoirs had appeared in 1773, but the collected edition that brings them all together is indeed dated 1774; certain pieces are dated 1773 as they were added after the title page bearing the 1774 date. Although the pagination varies, the collection contains only one general title page; some memoirs have half-titles, others do not.
Contents of the collection: Mémoires de M. Caron de Beaumarchais contre M. Goezman, Supplément au mémoire à consulter, Addition au Supplément du mémoire à consulter, Requeste d'atténuation pour le Sr Caron de Beaumarchais...