Brunet

First edition published under initialism.
Nineteenth-century binding in half brown Russia leather, spine with raised bands largely faded, decorated with small gilt fleurons, marbled paper boards (slightly lifting on the first cover) outlined with double blind fillets, all edges gilt.
Baby-bambou is a small philosophical tale in which an eponymous prince lives through many adventures meant to lead him to wisdom.

First edition, illustrated with 10 fine figures, 10 headpieces, and 10 tailpieces by Martini and Desrais, engraved by Gaucher. Each of the 10 novellas has a half-title and title page, dated from 1775 to 1779. The illustration is particularly well executed.
Contemporary full speckled and porphyry sheep bindings. Smooth spines decorated. Upper headcap of volume I worn. Lacks at foot of volume I. Lacks at head of volume II. Corners rubbed, some bumped. Fresh overall, with some rare and pale foxing. Good copy.
Journalist, writer and Freemason historian, D'Ussieux composed these historical novellas after those of the Décaméron français, a similar work. They can be compared to those of Baculard D'Arnaud. These novellas corresponded to the public's taste for history and drama. Table of works: Louis de Bourbon, prince de Condé; Françoise de Foix, Comtesse de Chateaubriand; Faldoni et Thérèse; Angélique de Limeuil; Les deux Sophies; Saint Agnès et Corneville; Charlotte de Savoir, reine de France; Marie de Bourgogne; Françoise de Beauville; Alexis.
A dry stamp with monogram repeated on several pages. Complex monogram, inside a large C, the intertwined letters STE.

First edition. There would be three editions the same year.
Contemporary half brown sheep bindings with corners. Smooth spines decorated with gilt compartments and fleurons as well as red and blue morocco title and volume labels. Joints slightly cracked and showing some rubbing. Some dampstaining.
"Woman writer, salonnière and friend of philosophers and famous writers in the 18th century, Louise d'Épinay is the author of Memoirs whose originality is situated on two levels: from the point of view of content first, because it is a history of her family and the literary events of the century, a history however 'self-reflective' and filled with her own feelings and reflections; then, from the point of view of form, since it involves a singular combination of letters, memories and first-person diary pages and short third-person narratives." Sanda Nemeth-Badescu, Dalhousie French Studies, 2005. The famous muse of the late 18th century was indeed a friend of Rousseau, Grimm, Diderot, Voltaire, etc, and her memoirs interspersed with correspondence best illustrate the world of letters of this late 18th century.

SCHERER Jean-Louis
Recherches historiques et geographiques sur le Nouveau-Monde
Chez Brunet, Paris 1777, in-8 (12,5 x 20,2 cm), xii (2 f.) 352 pp., contemporary sheep
The rare first edition with eight illustrations (Chinese coins and medals, Buddha) and a large folding map of Siberia and the river Lena.
Contemporary marbled sheep, spine in compartments, roulette to head and foot, brown morocco title-piece. Triple fillet frame. Small lack at head. Wormhole to foot of upper joint, two corners rubbed. Headpieces, joints, and corners scraped. A very good, fresh copy.
An important essay on the origins of the peoples of the American continent (North and South). The author uses several approaches to produce a powerful comparative study of languages (most notably those of the islands of South-East Asia, Mexico and Peru), dress and traditions. Scherer’s conclusion, notably relying on Classical literature and various accounts of voyages, is that the people of the Americas had several different migratory origins, including Chinese, African and Asian tribes. North America, and especially Alaska, received several waves of migration from the Bering Strait, via Kamchatka, and from Asia.