Charles Osmont

New and second edition, very rare, after the first of exceptional rarity published in 1630. A frontispiece by Daniel Rabel composed of 2 half-page figures.
Full marbled brown calf binding 18th century. Spine with raised bands decorated. Red morocco title label. Head split at headcap. Lacking at tail. Upper joint opened at tail and head. Lower joint cracked at head. 3 corners bumped. Uniform dampstain over 4/5 of the title page.
Collection of satirical and burlesque pieces, with baroque and erudite writing, sometimes very licentious to the point of ribaldry. The work is composed of 10 pieces for the first part including the famous Le moyne bourru, La missodrie, and 5 pieces for the second part, which remained more famous for Le Herti ou l'universel, Le discours du ris, Le discours du ridicule, La blanque, La maigre. The author mocks the customs and habits of his time, but also the sciences and knowledge, alchemy and superstitions, doing so either through learned discourses full of antiquities, or through romantic inventions.
Poet, novelist and dramatic author, Adrien de Montluc, Prince de Chabanais (1571-1646) was, under Louis XIII, one of those libertines and courtly gallants called the Intrépides: he remained twelve years prisoner in the Bastille and only left upon Richelieu's death. "Forerunner of modern letters, first to liberate words, he marked the pages with an ink that three centuries have not faded", according to the judgment of Illiazd, the poet-publisher who drew from this work two of the texts: Le Courtisan grotesque (illustrated by Picasso with 18 dry-points in 1952) and La Maigre (23 etchings by Miró).

First edition, rare.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding, spine with raised bands decorated with gilt fleurons. Headcaps eliminated, joints of first cover lightly rubbed. Rear endpaper split, very light worming to a few leaves, without loss.
All posthumous books by La Bruyère (died in 1696) were completed by his editor Louis Ellies Dupin, who wrote two dialogues for this work. La Bruyère takes part in this book in the theological quarrel between Bossuet and Fénelon, defender of quietism. The author criticizes quietism in an ironic tone modeled on Pascal's provincial letters.
First edition of a work by the famous author of the Caractères.

Rare first edition.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Spine with five raised bands richly decorated and bearing a red morocco title label. Lacks at head and foot clumsily restored, same for corners. Scuffing and cuts to front cover. Some very minor dampstains.
A banner bearing Charles Osmont's address has been pasted over the publisher's address; on the recto of the page one can make out in reverse "Chez Guillaume Cavelier 1700" (we do not know the reason for this substitution, or perhaps Charles Osmont shared this edition and sold it himself). A fresh copy.

First edition. Tchemerzine VI, 331.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Worn headcaps. Overall rubbing. Large brown stain on upper cover. 3 corners slightly bumped. Pp. 158 to 168 foxed.
All posthumous works by La Bruyère (died in 1696) were completed by his editor Louis Ellies Dupin, who wrote two dialogues for this work. La Bruyère takes part in this book in the theological quarrel between Bossuet and Fénelon, defender of quietism. The author criticizes quietism in an ironic tone modeled on Pascal's Provincial Letters.