Pensées philosophiques, politiques, et morales en prose rimée sur le monde et sur le bonheur de l'homme relativement à celui de l'Etat

The rare first edition, illustrated with an engraved title featuring a large vignette within a portico, the title on the pediment, 4 beautiful figures finely engraved and drawn by Landerer (including Camp of the royal troops in Moravia, mausoleum erected by the empress for the Prince of Lichtenstein...) and 2 vignettes at the bottom of the page (View of Schloschof castle).
Contemporary full raspberry vellum binding. Smooth spine decorated. Spine and joints heavily worn overall. The gilt on the spine is almost invisible. Head cap detached and tail cap torn off. 2 corners bumped, the other 2 rubbed.
In 55 short chapters, the author composed rhyming maxims on human happiness, the army, science... not without some references and concealed portraits of the great princes of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. This rare edition was certainly self-published with a small print run. Copies can be found in Austrian libraries but neither in France nor England.