Voeux d'un solitaire

First edition.
Contemporary half brown calf binding. Smooth spine with fleurons and fillets.
Following the convocation of the Estates-General in 1789 and recent events, the author expresses his reflections on the future of the people, the clergy, the king, the nobility... In the preamble, Bernardin de Saint Pierre expresses doubt regarding the decisions of the National Assembly, which alone cannot make just decisions for the people. His political reflection revolves around a balance of powers. The author's prose is characterized, even in this political essay, by a very personal accent of sincerity, the discourse being interspersed with many autobiographical touches.