Pierre Gosse

French first edition, the translation attributed to Louis de Bochat and Desmonceaux. Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait by Seldemeyer, 4 repeated title vignettes (signed Schl.) and a plate of medals in volume I. Title bandeaux and ornamental initials.
Contemporary half brown sheep binding with small corners. Spine with raised bands decorated with fillets. Brown sheep title label, matching volume label. Speckled brown paper boards. Headcaps and joints very skilfully restored. Tear in the head compartment of volume IV. Rubbing to volume IV title label with gilt worn. Rubbing and scratches on boards. Corners bumped, with small lacks along edges. Good copy, quite fresh overall.
Manuscript ownership inscription in upper margin of title: Petri Andrieu.
Important historical work, in which Giannone, who was one of the great intellectuals of the early 18th century, describes and critiques the administrative laws and customs of Naples from ancient times. The Italian edition dates from 1723, but its introduction to France fell victim to censorship, the Pope having condemned the work as heretical and defamatory. The author indeed attacks the abuses of the church. Following the persecutions by the church provoked by his book's publication, Giannone took refuge in Vienna, then was delivered to justice through a ruse by the Duke of Savoy. He would end his life in prison. All 18th-century historians admired his book and drew inspiration from it, Montesquieu advocating (in his Pensées) writing a civil history of France; for indeed, a novelty in historical studies, Giannone's history of Naples was no longer merely a historical and ecclesiastical study, but also a cultural and social history of Naples. Brunet would praise the excellence of the historical work but deplore the shortcomings of the translation, which however 18th-century readers found amply satisfactory.

First edition, illustrated with a captioned and unsigned frontispiece and a title vignette bearing the motto on a banderole: Illuminat et foecundat. Title page in red and black.
Dutch binding in full brown morocco of the period. Spine with raised bands decorated with compartments tooled in blind. Brown morocco title-label tooled in blind. Some rubbing. Half-title and frontispiece partially detached. Handsome copy.
Fontenelle's maxims and thoughts are grouped under different themes: Man, happiness, on literary matters, on different sciences...

First edition, rare. Title pages in red and black. Typographic ornaments: headpieces, tailpieces, initials. Lacking the two maps normally found in volume 1.
Contemporary full marbled sheep bindings. Spines with raised bands decorated with acorn tools in compartments. Brown morocco title labels and red morocco volume labels. Rubbing. 2 corners slightly bumped. 2 small cracks at head of first volume. Fine domino paper endpapers. Some leaves yellowed, occasional worming. Handsome copy.
The introductory chapter treats the arts in Sicily under Antiquity, then studies their history from earliest Antiquity with the establishment of the Phoenicians in Sicily and the founding of Palermo up to the author's contemporary period. Sicily has known a turbulent history since its occupation by the Phoenicians, then by the Greeks, by the Carthaginians, finally by the Romans, then the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines, the Muslims, the Normans, etc. Its history is extremely rich and symbolizes that of the great revolutions of Europe. Hoefer VII, 840: "The style of this work leaves much to be desired, but the facts are exactly reported." Indeed, Burigny is by no means a stylist, but today, this factual and informative language that is his would be rather an asset than a defect.

New edition, the original having appeared in 1736 then in 1738 for its sequel. Six figures, including a frontispiece, all unsigned. Title pages in red and black.
Contemporary full glazed brown calf binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Worn binding. Split headcaps. Lacks to joints at head and foot. Corners cut and rubbed bare.
Le bachelier de Salamanque is Lesage's last novel, and said to be his favorite, the fruit of his old age. Although still in the picaresque tradition, this last work no longer relies on multiple episodes like Gil Blas; if it shows less invention a priori, it is above all of a markedly darker and more melancholic tone than any of his novels.
19th-century bookplate of Mlle Victoire Kessler. Reims.

New edition, illustrated with a frontispiece depicting Bertholde. The engraved title page of the second part is the same as for the first, a small manuscript "1" has been added before "1^re partie".
Full mottled calf binding ca. 1800. Decorated smooth spine. Black morocco title-label. Extremities of corners rubbed. Handsome copy, particularly fresh.
Published at the beginning of the 17^th century, at the end of the author's life, the story of Bertholdo had immense popular success in Italy; it features a deformed dwarf who possesses the highest qualities of mind. The action takes place in the Middle Ages, at the court of Verona, where Bertholde becomes a favorite of the monarch. At that time, deformity or ugliness were synonymous with coarseness and associated with evil; the author manifestly takes the opposite view. This version is freely translated from the original.

Highly esteemed edition, provided by Sigibert Havercamp. His text, revised from several manuscripts and from the editio princeps, includes numerous notes. Deluxe paper copy.
Bindings (contemporary, very slightly later) in full dark blue morocco signed Anguerrand, smooth spines decorated with gilt compartments and fleurons, as well as red morocco title labels, volume labels, date and place labels. Triple gilt fillet and fleurons framing the boards. Wide gilt dentelle framing the pastedowns. All edges gilt. Spines somewhat faded and some rubbing, otherwise fine copy. Interesting detail that traces the life of this copy: the spines were updated to contemporary taste at the end of the 18th century; the title labels, in red morocco, were changed, some moved and the compartments, originally plain, were overworked with tooling from this same period.
It appears to be the copy that figured in the catalogue of the Lamoignon library of 1791 (II, n°4292).

First edition. Title page in red and black. Rather rare.
Modern full beige cloth binding. Smooth spine with green sheep title-label. First 2 leaves expertly restored and backed (the first two letters of Mémoires are missing).
Collection of 8 memoirs by Swiss geologist Elie Bertrand on earthquakes, particularly those observed in Switzerland in 1755. Notable among them is a memoir on the history of earthquakes in Switzerland. Other memoirs, more theoretical in nature, examine the nature and causes of the phenomenon and the bibliographical history of earthquakes.