Le palais du silence. Conte philosophique

Rare first edition of this literary hoax, spuriously attributed by the translator to Cadmus of Miletus in a lengthy explanatory preface. Illustrated with a frontispiece after Cochin.
Contemporary full blond calf binding. Spine gilt-tooled between raised bands. Red morocco title label. Headcap partly worn and upper joint split at the head. Surface abrasions to the boards.

The volume opens with a preface on the attribution of the tale to Cadmus of Miletus, followed by a well-documented chapter on the establishment of Greek colonies in Asia Minor. The tale recounts the life of a young prince, son of the king of the Dorides, serving—within the tradition of the philosophical tale—as a pretext for the unveiling of certain truths. Chevalier d'Arcq (1721-1795), the natural son of the Count of Toulouse, played a significant role in the intellectual life of the eighteenth century, notably through his close interest in economic and social issues. More conventionally, in this tale the author addresses human passions and the nature of power.