Antique and first editions of bibles and sacred texts, theology and religious controversies: Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, pagan beliefs and religions

Rare first edition under this title, complete with the engraved title-page. The first edition of 1607, Remonstrance faicte au Roy Très Chrétien pour la réunion des religions à la foy catholique, was printed in Tournon in only 96 pages. This second edition, of which there were probably two issues from the same bookseller, was substantially revised and enlarged by the author.

Contemporary limp vellum with turn-ins, smooth spine, faded ink manuscript title to spine, original ties present, red speckled edges. Bookplate of the lawyer V[ictor] Duchâtaux, a bibliophile of the second half of the 19th century, to front pastedown. Manuscript ownership inscription dated 1661 at foot of engraved title-page.

Two tiny ink spots on pp. 57 and 209 affecting one letter each, small marginal wormhole on p. 417 not affecting text, a fine copy.

On p. 58, the passage "not in the traditions of the Roman Church! but in their own Bible, which I made the judge of all my designs, and the rule of my will" (our own translation) is underlined in brown ink, probably in the same hand as the ownership inscription.

First edition of the English translation of "De Logomachiis eruditorum" (Amsterdam, 1688) by the Swiss Reformed theologian Samuel Werenfels (1657–1740), a notably engaging essay on the obstacles to concord among Christians created by the endless disputes over the terminology used to define points of belief.

A few small spots of foxing.

Full speckled fawn calf, the spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt compartments and gilt tools; rubbing to the spine, the gilt title almost entirely effaced, headcaps trimmed down with a small loss to the tailcap; gilt double-fillet border with gilt corner tools on the covers; some wear to the board edges with gilt fillets, corners softened; edges sprinkled red; contemporary binding.

A few small spots of foxing.

Copy from the library of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, bearing his armorial bookplate “Re que Diou” from the Château de Valençay, mounted on the front endpapers.

A highly appealing provenance, given the fundamental scepticism of the former bishop of Autun.

First edition of these observations and proposed reforms concerning the Navy. Pierre-Alexandre Forfait (1752–1807) served as Minister of the Navy from November 1799 to October 1801.

Contemporary full fawn calf, mottled and polished, smooth spine tooled with gilt decorative compartments and false bands, red shagreen lettering-piece, joints lightly rubbed, boards framed with delicate gilt rolls, a few abrasions and small losses to the leather at the lower edges, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, corners softened, all edges gilt, a period binding.

Pierre-Alexandre Forfait (1752–1807) served as Minister of the Navy from November 1799 to October 1801.

Forfait and Bonaparte met in Venice around 1798, and it was he who "forma" the future Emperor in the principles of naval warfare that Napoleon would later wage against England.

In this pamphlet, he characterises the English in the following terms « … ces dominateurs des mers ne donneront jamais le temps nécessaire pour recréer et former une marine par les moyens ordinaires, la navigation marchande ou la pêche … Comptez qu'ils vous déclareront toujours la guerre, ou vous la feront sans la déclarer, avant que vos forces navales aient pu atteindre son degré de développement qui puisse les inquiéter ».

The plan of 21 July 1803, in which the flotilla was to operate without the support of the Navy, clearly demonstrates the deep influence Forfait’s ideas had on Bonaparte.

However, the group formed by Decrès, Ganteaume, Bruix and Villeneuve during the Egyptian campaign exerted a powerful influence on Napoleon; and Decrès ultimately succeeded in definitively supplanting Forfait.

Provenance: manuscript ex-libris of Decrès mounted on a pastedown; he succeeded the author as Minister of the Navy and remained in office until 1814.

First edition of this very rare memorandum advocating the establishment of a Chair of Natural Law at the Collège d’Autun (entrusted to the lawyer Bouheret).

No copies recorded in either CCFr or WorldCat.

The authors of this Dijon-printed text, mindful of their educational mission, examine the Utility of Natural Law from several perspectives—Religion, Government, and the various orders of society. They refer to Abbé Gédouin and his Dissertation sur l’éducation, to Mably’s Entretiens de Phocion, and to La Chalotais’s Essai d’Éducation nationale ou Plan d’études pour la jeunesse, both published the previous year. Burlamaqui’s Principes du droit naturel et politique (1694–1748), likewise issued posthumously at the same period, are mentioned, as are Cumberland’s Loix naturelles, translated in 1744, whose theses—close to Pufendorf and refuting Hobbes—reinforce the authors’ position. Printed in Dijon, this work reflects the depth and importance of the contemporary debate on natural law, a principle central to the Physiocrats, whose theories would shortly be developed and formulated by Quesnay in his celebrated Physiocratie ou constitution naturelle du Gouvernement le plus avantageux (Leiden and Paris, 1767–1768).

A handsome copy, as issued, preserved in its original plain temporary wrappers, with small tears to the spine.

First and only edition of the author's sole work.

Adorned with a fine engraved portrait of Jacques-Nicolas Colbert (1655–1707), youngest son of the minister and Archbishop of Carthage, to whom the book is dedicated.

Bound in full red morocco, spine with five raised bands, richly gilt compartments decorated with gilt fleurs-de-lys, gilt fillets, and Du Seuil-style panels on the covers; gilt tooling to headcaps and board edges, all edges gilt. Contemporary binding.

Some foxing, small wormholes at head and foot of spine, three black spots at the head of the upper cover.

Provenance: from the library of Alfred Massé (1911–1951), Radical-Socialist deputy for Nièvre under the Third Republic, with his bookplate.

Monogram stamps on the title page.

Extremely rare first edition of the French translation by Luc de la Porte (cf. Lust 24. Cordier, Sinica, 12. Palau 105509. Sabin 27780. Wagner (SW) 7bb. Leclerc (1878) 258. Streit IV, 1999. Alden European Americana 588/37 – 8 copies recorded in the U.S.A. Atkinson 339.)

Contemporary full brown calf binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with double gilt compartments, joints and spine restored, gilt fillets partly faded on the edges, red edges. 17th-century binding.

Minor stain to margin at the beginning of the volume; tear to margin p. 62.

Extremely rare first edition of the French translation of one of the finest missionary accounts of 16th-century China; it includes a significant section on the Americas, notably the recent discovery of New Mexico by Antonio d'Espejo in 1583. It was through this work that Abraham Ortelius was able to complete the American section of his atlas (Sabin 27775).

Manuscript ex-libris on the title page: Cadt. Berdeilh; autograph letter signed by Marie de Berdeilh, dated Mirepoix, January 10, on the front endpaper; and an acknowledgment of debt signed by the same, mounted to front pastedown. Ex-libris of Gaston Héliot, an antiques dealer specializing in Chinese and Japanese curiosities c. 1920–1930.

First edition, cf Conlon 17:710. Quérard VII, 455 ("Cette Dissertation est très-estimée").

Full marbled blond calf, spine with five raised bands richly gilt in compartments decorated with gilt bees, red morocco lettering-piece, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillet on board edges, mottled edges, contemporary binding.

Lower corner rubbed, endpapers partially browned.

Notable treatise on the two great English political parties, their history, development, and respective positions.

First edition of this French translation prepared by Abbé J.B. Morvan de Bellegarde, who here renders six of the nine books of the celebrated Brevissima relación by Las Casas, first published in Seville in 1552 (cf. Sabin 11273. Medina BHA 1085n. Streit I:733. Palau 46966. JCB (4) 344-345. Leclerc 337. "European Americana" 697/33).

Contemporary full marbled calf binding, spine gilt in compartments with decorative tooling, red morocco label, gilt rolls to head and tail caps, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets to board edges, red edges.

Minor repairs to joints, discreet restoration in the inner margin of the frontispiece.

A handsome copy.

Las Casas wrote this text in 1549 to defend himself against accusations from Spanish colonizers following his advocacy on behalf of the Indigenous peoples. In this impassioned denunciation, he condemns the colonial system introduced in the Indies by the Spanish, a system founded entirely on violence and plunder. The publication caused considerable stir in Spain and led to the abolition of the encomiendas—a land allocation system which, under the guise of converting and assisting the natives, legalized one of the most brutal forms of slavery. From a historical perspective, this work stands at the origin of the concept of the "noble savage", which, through missionary apologetics, would inspire the primitivist movement that ultimately gave rise—within Rousseau's thought—to a return to nature and to the new moral, political, and aesthetic sensibilities of the 19th century. Cf. Dict. des œuvres.

First edition, illustrated with 27 engraved plates (13 in the first volume and 14 in the second – plates 1–7 mistakenly bound after plates 8–14), cf. Ryckebusch 4989. Toussaint et Adolphe D 903. Gay 3239. Robertson 129.

Full mottled fawn calf bindings, flat spines gilt with triple fillets and floral tools (gilding partly faded), gilt roll tooling to headcaps, cherry morocco title and volume labels, plain endpapers with some usual marginal soiling, marbled edges. 19th-century bindings presented in two modern custom slipcases.

Joints restored, internally clean and well-preserved.

The astronomer Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de La Galaisière (1725–1792), a student of Jean-Dominique Cassini, spent nearly ten years in India and travelling through the Indian Ocean region.

"His work contains valuable information on currents, tides, monsoons, etc. He introduced knowledge of the Hindu zodiac and Brahmanic astronomy, and noted its concordance with Chaldean science" (Hoefer).

The second volume is entirely devoted to the Philippines (pp. 1–366, plates 1–5), Madagascar (pp. 367–628, plates 6–10), and the islands of France and Bourbon (pp. 629–844, plates 11–14).

First edition of the French translation by Father F. Le Comte (cf. Cordier, Bibl. Indosinica, 1046. Streit BM, V 1719. Sommervogel V, 583).

Contemporary full mottled brown calf, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt garlands and double gilt panels adorned with gilt floral tools, speckled edges.

Spine expertly restored; pages 181–184 repeated; pagination jumps from 284 to 289 without loss.

The first part (pp. 1–327) contains the “Relation du Royaume de Tunquin,” and the second, the “Relation du Royaume de Lao” (pp. 329–436). The Italian Jesuit G. F. de'Marini (born in Taggia [Genoa] in 1608 – died in Macao in 1682) set sail for the Indies in 1638, preached the Gospel in Tonkin for fourteen years, and later served as rector of the college in Macao.

From 1674 onwards, he governed the Japanese mission as Provincial. His account offers a wealth of fascinating and detailed information about Tonkin and Laos in the first half of the 17th century.

Contemporary manuscript ex-libris of the Jesuit Professed House in Paris on the title page.

Very rare.

Good edition, published by J.B. Carpzov, illustrated with a frontispiece and a copper-engraved map of Judea in the text (see Graesse IV, 209).

The work includes numerous passages printed in Hebrew.

See Röhricht, p. 240, for a separate edition of the geographical and topographical prefaces to each gospel ("chorographia").

Contemporary full stiff ivory vellum binding, smooth spine, large later-added brown morocco title label mounted on the back, bookplate pasted on the inside cover, red edges.

Some black stains on the boards.

This is the author's most important work; he also dedicated two other volumes to the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Saint Paul.

In this volume, the four Gospels are examined through the lens of rabbinic philology: "Lightfoot y a voulu expliquer une foule de passages du Nouveau Testament au moyens des écrits talmudiques et rabbiniques qui dans leur formes de langage rappellent celles des évangélistes et de saint Paul, ou qui font connaître des usages ou des opinions répandus parmi les juifs et auxquels les écrivains sacrés font parfois allusion" [Hoefer]. The prefaces to the four parts of the work are of particular interest: they contain numerous and extensive notes on the geography and topography of Palestine, presented as a repertory.

This treatise was first published in English in 1644 and 1650. Graesse lists three Latin editions printed in Leipzig: 1675, 1677, and 1684. According to Hoefer, the Horae Hebraicae is the author's “most remarkable and most useful” work.

After studying classics and theology at Cambridge, John Lightfoot [1602–1675] "seconda le docteur Whitehead dans la direction de l'école de Rapton, et deux ans après devint chapelain du chevalier Roland Cotton, qu'il accompagna plus tard à Londres. C'est dans la maison de ce seigneur, qui était versé dans la connaissance de l'hébreu, qu'il se mit à l'étude de quelques-unes des langues sémitiques. Il allait passer sur le continent pour profiter des leçons des orientalistes de la Hollande, quand il fut nommé ministre de l'église de Stone, dans le comté de Stafford. Il occupa encore divers autres bénéfices, et fut nommé en 1643 recteur du collège de Sainte-Catherine de Cambridge, et en 1655 vice-chancelier de cette université. Lightfoot était un grand érudit (...) Ses ouvrages se rapportent à l'interprétation des livres saints et à l'explication des antiquités hébraïques" [Hoefer].

Provenance: Armorial bookplate of the Bavarian Sachs family on the front pastedown (circa 1700).

Manuscript ex-libris on the front free endpaper: “Ad Bibliothecam Buschianam” (1753), “Ad Bibliothecam Boissardianam” (1801), “Boissard père et fils” (1802 and 1832). Ink-stamped ex-libris of “Edmond Stapfer” (1873).

A handsome copy.

Extremely rare reissue of this journal. None of the institutions consulted hold this edition (see Palau, 71807).

Contemporary full ivory vellum binding with overlapping edges, flat spine with calligraphic title running lengthwise, boards slightly soiled.

The book was most likely reinserted into its original binding; a few small stains.

The first Spanish edition was issued the same year in Seville by Sebastián de Armendáriz - bookseller, publisher, and forerunner of Spanish journalism - at the press of Thomas Lopez de Haro.

It appears that the document used as the basis for Armendáriz’s account was a report by an eyewitness to the events, Count Paolo Amerighi.

This journal recounts the siege and recapture of Budapest in 1686, held by the Turks since 1541 and ultimately expelled by Charles V of Lorraine (1643-1690).

A few spots on the title page, otherwise a very attractive copy in contemporary binding.

New edition of the French translation.

Bound at the end of this volume are the following two texts:

• Relation du Nouvel Archipel Septentrional, discovered recently by the Russians in the seas of Kamchatka and Anadir. By Mr. J. Staehlin. Translated into English from the original German, and from English into French.
• Account of the singular adventures of four Russian travellers who were cast away on the desert island of Eastern Spitzbergen, with some observations on the productions of this island. By M.P.L. Le Roy. Translated into English from the original German at the request of several members of the Royal Society of London, and from English into French.
• Contemporary binding in half tan sheep, spine with gilt decorative rules and typographic motifs now fading, marbled paper boards, some wear to edges, marbled edges.
• Not cited by Sabin. See Lada-Mocarski nos. 20 and 29 for the latter two texts, here bound without their title pages.

First edition of the French translation of this account of the Lutheran mission’s activities on the eastern coast of India, originally published under various titles.

Contemporary full marbled light brown calf, spine with five raised bands richly gilt with garland rolls and double decorative panels, light brown calf title label, headcap shaved, gilt fillets along the edges, corners restored, red edges, period binding.

Since 1620, the Danish East India Company had held several trading posts and possessions along the Indian coastline, the principal settlement being Tranquebar. Transferred to the Danish Crown in 1779, these outposts became Danish colonies. However, frequently attacked by the British during the Napoleonic Wars, they declined until 1845, when Denmark sold them to Britain. In reality, Niekamp merely abridged the four substantial volumes of the Acts of the Danish Mission, published in Halle starting in 1718, and followed by numerous continuations. King Frederick IV of Denmark had authorized these missions in the Malabar region, sending evangelical envoys to rival the long-established Nestorian churches and the Catholic missions.

Copy belonging to a physician named Faivre, with a contemporary handwritten ex-libris on the front endpapers, followed by a manuscript note on the work, in which he expresses sharp criticism of Christian clergy of all denominations in an unmistakably Enlightenment tone ("Il faut convenir que l'intolérance et le manque de charité sont les vices dominans de presque tous les ministres des différentes religions, mais les catholiques romains les poussent au plus haut degré que les autres ...").

Pleasant internal condition.

First edition (cf. Barbier IV, cols. 211-212).

Contemporary full red morocco Jansenist binding, spine with five raised bands framed by black fillets, gilt roll tooling on the caps, blind-stamped fillet border on covers, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt dentelle border on the pastedowns, gilt fillets on the edges somewhat faded, all edges gilt, bookplate mounted on pastedown.

Some minor internal defects (dampstains and a small loss at the foot of a few leaves).

Barbier devotes an extensive entry to the condemnation of this work on the mystical movement of Quietism, for which Fénelon long contended with Bossuet before both he and Madame Guyon were condemned by Pope Innocent XIII.

Provenance: fine copy from the library of François-César Le Tellier, Marquis de Courtanvaux, Count of Tonnerre, Duke of Doudeauville (1718–1781), with his stamp and engraved bookplate.

Initially captain-colonel of the King's Hundred Swiss Guards, he later turned his attention to chemistry, physics, and astronomy. A member of the Académie des sciences, he studied the development of instruments related to longitude. As an astronomer, he maintained a personal observatory at Colombes.

His library was considered one of the most distinguished of the period.

Handsome Greek printing of the Psalter according to the Septuagint, followed by traditional Biblical hymnology and a weekly recitation guide.

Illustrated with a charming woodcut depicting David.

Contemporary black cloth-backed marbled boards, spine unlettered and slightly faded, blue endpapers and pastedowns.

Occasional foxing, otherwise clean and well-preserved throughout.

First edition of this continuation of the series Lettres édifiantes et curieuses, documenting events from 1767 onward in the missions led by the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (M.E.P.) in Sichuan, Tonkin, Cochinchina, Siam, and along the Coromandel Coast. (cf. Cordier, Sinica, II, 953–957; Cordier, Indosinica, III, 1970–1978; Sabin 40704.)

Contemporary full speckled tan calf, smooth spines richly decorated with gilt garlands, fillets and floral tools, red morocco labels for title and volume number, gilt roll tooling at headcaps, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, single gilt fillet on board edges, yellow edges.

Spines slightly sunned, headcaps trimmed, some rubbing to spines and boards with occasional paper loss, bumped corners, occasional light spotting, internally a very good copy.

First edition, illustrated with a fine engraved frontispiece portrait of Cardinal Casanate, signed by Pet. Paul Bouché, an Antwerp engraver born around 1646 [cf. Bénézit].

Gay 1464.

This engraving is lacking in the copy held by the Bibliothèque nationale.

Contemporary full brown calf binding, spine with five raised bands, compartments decorated with gilt floral tools, gilt fillets on board edges, mottled edges.

Restorations to the spine, dampstain to the outer margins of the opening leaves, some leaves slightly yellowed.

“Another edition of this work by Emmanuel Schelstrate, published in Antwerp in the same year, is recorded.”

The author published this treatise to demonstrate that the Church of Africa and its most eminent pastors had always acknowledged the Pope as patriarch. This valuable history of the African Church, its heresies and its councils, also includes a list of bishops from the provinces of Numidia, Byzantium, Mauretania, Tripolitania, and Sardinia. Emanuel van Schelstrate [1645–1692], the Antwerp antiquarian and theologian, was a staunch defender of papal prerogative. A learned scholar, he served as canon and precentor of Antwerp Cathedral before being called to Rome, where Pope Innocent XI appointed him custodian of the Vatican Library and canon of St. John Lateran.

Library stamp to title page.

Autograph inscription signed by Edouard Imbenotte to Abbé Griselle (circa 1910) in black ink on the front pastedown.

Edition not recorded by Leclerc, Rodriquez or Borba de Moraes (cf. Sabin 43770; Cordier, Bibl. Japonica 62-63, and Bibl. Sinica 782).

Some occasional light foxing; minor worming affecting the index leaves at the end of the volume.

Modern Bradel binding in half vellum, smooth spine with red morocco label, marbled paper-covered boards.

A work of major significance for the history of Jesuit missions in the Americas, India, China, and Japan.

First edition illustrated with 39 aquatint engravings, 37 of which are hand-colored (cf Atabey, 624. Hage-Chahine, 2388.)

Finely engraved and colored, the illustrations evoke the design of Persian miniatures: portraits (Fath Ali Shah, Abbas I, Nadir Shah), figures in costumes (Persian women, slave and eunuch from the harem, Persian rider…), views and ancient monuments (Tehran, ruins of Persepolis), scenes of daily life (Persian meal, village entertainments, writing master and his pupil, Persians in prayer…), musical instruments, etc.

Half dark green shagreen bindings, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets, gilt friezes on the head and tail, cat’s-eye paper boards with some marginal wear, endpapers and pastedowns made of handmade paper, speckled edges, slightly later bindings.

Some foxing, frontispiece of volume 4 restored, detached ex-libris mark on the pastedown of the first volume.

The orientalist Amable Louis Marie Michel Bréchillet-Jourdain, known as Jourdain (1788-1818), was a student of Sylvestre de Sacy before becoming assistant secretary at the School of Oriental Languages. He studied Persian and Arabic and was a secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rare copy.

First edition, rare, illustrated with a large folding engraved map (cf. Gay 3082).

Contemporary full marbled calf, smooth spine gilt in compartments adorned with gilt floral tools, tan morocco title label, gilt roll tooling at head and foot of spine, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets on board edges, red-speckled yellow edges.

Some restoration to spine and covers, occasional foxing and slight age-toning to a few gatherings.

Written from the memoirs of the missionaries Descourvières and Bellegarde. The first part offers a description of the country and the customs of its inhabitants, followed by notes on their language; the second part recounts the history of the French mission from 1766 to 1773. Originally from Goux-les-Usies, near Pontarlier, Jean-Joseph Descourvières (c. 1740–1804) "fit ses études à Besançon, entra dans les ordres, et fut nommé vicaire à Belfort. Il quitta cette position, vint à Paris, et entra dans la Compagnie de Jésus comme missionnaire. Il fut désigné pour le royaume de Loango, et partit de Nantes en mars 1768, avec un autre prêtre, l’abbé Joli. Ils arrivèrent à Cabinde à la fin d’août. Leurs collègues du Loango, découragés, venaient de retourner en Europe. Descourvières et Joli ne suivirent pas cet exemple ; ils s’établirent dans le Kacongo, et apprirent avec rapidité la langue du pays. Protégés par le roi du Kacongo, les missionnaires firent de nombreux prosélytes ; mais Descourvières ne put résister au climat, et revint en France en janvier 1770 ; son collègue l’y suivit bientôt. Dès qu’ils furent rétablis, ils reprirent leur entreprise, et s’embarquèrent à Paimboeuf, le 7 mars 1773, avec quatre autres missionnaires et six cultivateurs. Ils abordèrent le 28 juin sur la côte d’Afrique, et se rendirent aussitôt à Kacongo ; ils y furent très-bien accueillis, mais cette fois encore le climat les contraignit à renoncer à leur œuvre. Descourvières revint en France en 1775. En 1779, il fut nommé procureur général des missions françaises de Chine. Il se fixa à Macao : son séjour n’y fut qu’une longue suite d’avanies ; il fut enfin expulsé par les naturels, en 1786. De retour en France, il émigra en 1793, et alla terminer ses jours à Rome. Le père Descourvières avait recueilli de précieux documents sur les divers pays qu’il avait habités : ces travaux ont servi utilement à la composition de plusieurs bons ouvrages. Outre un Dictionaire et une Grammaire Kacongaise, il a laissé une volumineuse correspondance, dans laquelle Proyart a puisé son Histoire de Loango (…) Les volumes II, V et VI du Recueil des nouvelles Lettres édifiantes, Paris, 1818, 8 vol. in-12, contiennent de nombreux extraits des écrits de Descourvières". Cf. Hoefer.

A good copy in contemporary binding, with the bookplate of the Château de Laplagne library pasted on the front pastedown; an additional Château de Laplagne label has been affixed over it, with a small loss along the right margin.

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece, a portrait of the author, and 14 copper-engraved vignettes within the text, mostly depicting inhabitants of the North (cf Sabin, 38711.)

Restored binding in full grained morocco, spine with five false raised bands adorned with gilt fillets and double compartments, gilded roulettes on the partially faded caps, small repairs to the joints, gilt fillets on the edges, slightly worn corners, binding of the period.

Ink annotations on the white endpaper and at the top of the false-title page.

Born in Rouen in 1634, La Martinière embarked around 1670 as a surgeon on a ship of the Northern Company bound for Norway, and visited Lapland, New Zemble, the Siberian coasts, and Iceland.

His account contains numerous details on the lifestyle, customs, and superstitions of the peoples of these regions, as well as natural history (reindeer, bears, penguins, etc.). There are also passages on hunting and fishing. Author of several medical works, notably on blood transfusion, La Martinière also published 'The Happy Slave', Paris, 1674, in which he recounts his captivity by the Barbary corsairs a few years before his voyage to Norway. A fine copy of this rare book.

Provenance: from the library of the Menneval château with its engraved bookplate pasted on the inside cover.

First edition, very difficult to find complete, as the third volume was published eight years after the first two.

Bound in full mottled bronze-green calf, smooth spines richly decorated with gilt floral compartments, red morocco labels for title and volume number, gilt rolls on the caps, joints slightly rubbed, gilt roll-tooled borders on the covers entirely adorned with oblong geometric patterns in blind, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt Greek-key borders framing the pastedowns, bookplate mounted on the pastedown of the first volume, gilt fillets on the edges, all edges gilt, contemporary bindings.

Contains anecdotes about Rousseau, Poivre, Turgot, Helvétius, Benjamin Franklin, Holbach, Cardinal de La Rochefoucauld, the Marquise de Pompadour, Calonne, Necker, Beaujon…

A handsome copy attractively bound in a period decorative binding.

Second edition, partially original (cf. Gay, 3227. Grandidier, I, 1776. Ryckebusch, 3188. Boucher de La Richarderie, IV, 269–271. Brunet, II, 1278).

Two volumes bound in one, illustrated with 15 engraved maps and plates: a map of the island of Madagascar, a plan of Fort Dauphin, maps of Sainte-Marie Island and Bourbon Island, depictions of inhabitants in traditional dress, genre scenes, flora and fauna.

The plates and maps have been mounted on thick paper; old repairs to pages 27 and 47.

Contemporary full calf binding, spine with five raised bands framed in gilt garlands, decorated with double gilt panels and floral ornaments, some rubbing to joints and boards; marbled endpapers and pastedowns, blind-ruled fillets to board edges.

Nephew of Jules de Loynes, Secretary General of the Navy and member of the Compagnie de l'Orient founded by Richelieu in 1642, Étienne de FLACOURT (1607–1660) was appointed Governor of Fort-Dauphin in Madagascar in 1648. He spent seven years on the island, seeking to exploit its resources and convert the local population to Christianity. He also explored nearby islands and took possession of the Mascarene Island, which he named Île Bourbon. Returning to France in 1655, he became the first traveller to provide a detailed description of Madagascar, with particularly notable ethnographic and botanical content: "Sa relation comprend deux parties. Dans la première, Flacourt fait une description générale de Madagascar, puis des descriptions particulières des provinces avec leurs rivières et les îles voisines : ces descriptions sont complètes et portent sur la religion, le langage, les usages et le gouvernement des habitants et aussi sur les plantes, les métaux et les animaux. La seconde partie est le récit des événements qui se sont passés depuis l'arrivée des Français dans l'île en 1642 : elle est complétée par la relation de quelques voyages qui ont été faits dans les îles voisines et dans les Mascareignes […] . Sans doute, il n'a pas tout vu et il ne peut pas tout rapporter : mais, après avoir bien étudié, il en arrive aux mêmes conclusions que son prédécesseur Cauche, dont il connaissait la relation, et, comme lui, il fait une peinture très enthousiaste des ressources végétales et minérales de Madagascar. Lorsque l'on a lu son livre, qui est le premier ouvrage sérieux sur la grande île, on comprend pourquoi la colonisation française n'a pas alors réussi malgré les grands avantages que l'on pouvait retirer de Madagascar. Dans l'édition de 1658 est une addition de 42 pages relative aux causes de l'insuccès que la Compagnie a eu : cette addition ne se trouve pas dans l'édition de 1661". Cf. Bourgeois & André, XI, 475.

This copy includes, bound at the end, a 17-page octavo pamphlet entitled "Cause pour laquelle les interessez de la Compagnie n'ont pas fait de grands profits à Madagascar". This text, extracted from the appendix of the original 1658 edition, has been inserted into the volume and is not part of the 1661 edition.

A handsome copy of this scarce work, complete with all its maps and plates.

Protestant edition of the Geneva Bible with various additions that characterize the composite impressions sold at Charenton, besides The Psalms of David, set to French rhyme by Clement Marot and Theodore de Beze (with title page and numerous musical staves): History of the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament, which contains the Summary of sacred chronology. This addition has its own title page placed after the general title. At the end of volume III, several texts: The form of ecclesiastical prayers; Of baptism, of the Lord's Supper, Of the articles of faith; Of the ten commandments; Of the sacraments; Confession of faith. All these additions are present to characterize Protestant liturgy and its difference, being both the orthodox Bible of Protestantism and a manual of faith. Although the Geneva Bible was revised several times, its first revision is due to Theodore de Beze.
A title vignette repeated on 2 volumes; the second tome having a different one, printer's mark. A title vignette for the title page of the Psalms. Typographical ornaments.
Contemporary full old red morocco binding. Richly decorated raised-band spine. Covers decorated in Du Seuil style with central frame and fleurons in the corner-pieces. Roll-tooled cuts and rich interior frieze. Gilt edges. Rubbing. A small fragment of headcap missing to the New Testament volume. To volume I, lack to lower joint at tail. Corners slightly turned in. The first 6 leaves of the New Testament with dampstain traces fading and resembling more browning, in inner margin and in the margins. None of the 3 volumes have a marbled endpaper before the title, which in the 17th century is not necessarily a lack but is encountered relatively commonly. First endpaper before the title of volume I coming loose. Dampstain traces on the last 2 leaves of volume I.
One of the last Protestant Bibles printed in France, the last dating from 1678. Protestant worship having been prohibited in Paris and its surroundings by the Edict of Nantes, Henri IV authorized the construction of a temple at Charenton near Paris. Parisian printers used this to distribute their editions of sacred texts. In 1671, the booksellers' shops at Charenton were burned down. 
Manuscript ex-libris: Wilhelmiire de Wrede

First edition.

Our copy is preserved in its original plain pink paper waiting wrappers.

Ink annotations to the front cover, a few short tears; internally a clean and agreeable copy.

As it was never ratified, this concordat never came into effect, and France therefore remained under the regime of the Concordat of 1801 until the Law on the Separation of Church and State in 1905.

First edition (see Cioranescu, XVIII, 13 365).

Contemporary full speckled fawn calf, spine with five raised bands, compartments decorated with gilt fleurons, faded gilt roll tooling to the headcaps, a scratch at the head of the spine, gilt fillets to the edges partially faded, corners rubbed, speckled edges; binding of the period.

The sole edition of the author’s only work, written by the prior of Saint-Didier-en-Bourbonnais [Saint-Didier-la-Forêt], about whom little else is known.

A very concise overview of the events of each ecumenical council, from Nicaea I onwards.

First edition of this particularly engaging monograph, written by the Dutch pastor Gerard Croese (1642–1710), and translated into English as early as 1696 (though never into French).

A few minor spots of foxing.

Full green vellum binding, the spine faded and tooled with small gilt ornaments, the title-piece largely lost leaving the spine without lettering, edges sprinkled green, a contemporary binding.

Partly informed by letters and documents supplied by William Sewel (1653–1720, himself the author in 1717 of an excellent Histori van de Opkompste, Aanwas en Voortgang der Christenen bekend by den naam van Quakers), it offers an account of the movement at a particularly significant moment in its history, marked both by a certain easing of persecution in Great Britain (the Toleration Act of 1689) and by emigration to the United States.

Book I concerns the life and work of George Fox, while Books II and III are devoted to William Penn.

Second edition (cf. Quérard IX, 429.).

Our copy remains in the original stitching, in temporary wrappers showing numerous losses and a cracked backstrip; the margins of some leaves are browned and bear small chips.

The work deals exclusively with the canonical prohibition on clergy wearing wigs; one section is devoted to liturgical and extra-liturgical headgear: birettas, mitres, almuces, hoods, camails, amices, caps, and skullcaps.

Abbot Jean-Baptiste Thiers (1636–1703) was among the most original and learned theologians of the seventeenth century; throughout his life he opposed superstition and the misuse of religious practices.

“This little edition, said to be very accurate, is a true typographical jewel, and perhaps the most beautiful one ever printed in the Hebrew language.”

Rare first edition. Published in Avignon according to Barbier; however, J.-P. Perret records it as printed in Yverdon.
Contemporary full marbled and polished calf. Smooth spine gilt-tooled. Tobacco-colored morocco labels for title and volume numbers. Lacking head of volume I. Upper joint of volume II split at head. Volume number label on volume I rubbed. Two bumped corners on volume I. In volume II, faint waterstain from title page to p. 60. Otherwise, a clean and well-preserved copy. A good example overall.

First editions of both volumes. Rare gathering of these two works in uniform binding. Printed in 2 columns.

Contemporary full mottled brown sheep binding. Spine with raised bands, decorated. Brown sheep title label. Defects first volume: Headcap torn away, joints split at tail, 3 corners bumped, dampstain on upper cover. Second volume: Lack at head, upper joint split, tailcap torn away, lower joint split at tail, dampstains on lower cover, 2 corners bumped, strip of leather torn away on lower cover. Lacking marbled endpapers before half-title and at end. Both volumes very fresh overall. Blue stamp on title pages: Institution Pelletin or Felletin. Manuscript ex libris S. Petri Exdronensis.
Father Richard Simon, an Oratorian, is considered the founder of modern biblical exegesis. This recognition was even affirmed by the Church in 1993. In 1678, he published his Critique du vieux testament, which after being severely criticized by both Bossuet and Nicole, ended up on the Index in 1683. The publication of this work only exacerbated the tensions that Simon had ignited against himself among all religious congregations through his new reading of biblical texts; never partisan, he questioned the Bible with knowledge of sources as had never been done before.
In the first work, Simon discusses the origin and character of the different books that compose the New Testament. In the second work on versions of the New Testament, Simon examines the different translations and the manner in which the most difficult passages were rendered.

Third edition after the original published in Bordeaux in 1593 and a second Parisian edition in 1594. The copy mentions the second edition because it is the second to be published in Bordeaux.
Extremely rare handwritten presentation signed by the author on the page of the endpaper: “Pour Monsieur de Rives en memoire de moy. A Caors ce iiij [4] may 1595. Charron.” “For Monseiur de Rives in memory of me. In Caors this iiij [4] May 1595. Charron.” It is, without doubt, about Jean III de Rieu, Lord of Rives, who belonged to the family of Antoine Hébrard de Saint-Sulpice, bishop of Cahors. Pierre Charron had been called theological by this same bishop of Cahors and became his curate for six years.
Bound in calf vellum with contemporary yapp edges, blank spine.
Extensive yellowing of the endpaper page until page 30, then lessening, in the middle of the page throughout the first part and until page 120 of the second part. This yellowing resumes from page 760 until the end.
Pierre Charron's first writing, who, in this controversial work regarding Protestantism, develops three great “vérités” “truths”: religion is necessary, Christianity is revealed and only the Roman Church is the true Church. It is this last point in particular that the author tries to demonstrate. This third part is so important that it has its own title page and takes up two-thirds of the book.
In Bordeaux, Pierre Charron met Montaigne whose ideas spread through his works and his thoughts. They bonded with such a deep friendship that Montaigne designated Charron as heir to his house coat of arms.
The handwritten ex-donos or presentations of the great humanists of the 16th century are an exceptional rarity.

New edition, after the original of 1725.

Austrian contemporary full brown sheep binding. Smooth unlettered spine decorated. Straight and wavy fillets framing the boards, central cartouche with small tools. All edges gilt. Gilding completely faded. Lacking marbled papers on first and last leaves. Lacks to lower joint. Good copy.
Segneri was one of the most famous Italian preachers. His dramatic eloquence, his verve, his gestures, his energetic depictions of divine vengeance and the punishments of hell, assured him a true cult following among the popular classes.

First edition, illustrated with a large title vignette depicting the Council of Nicaea with bishops on the left and monks on the other side, Christ in the center, levitating above a pulpit; a vignette representing the Last Supper on folio 9; a tailpiece vignette showing a king and monks supporting a banner or cartouche. 2 criblé initials.

Full vellum binding, later ca 1860. Spine with raised bands in Jansenist style. Black morocco title label. Small lacks to outer margin on folio 70; traces of pale yellow dampstaining to outer margin from folio 73 to the end. Some soiling to the binding. Handsome copy.
The theology of the sacrament of the Eucharist according to the first Council of Nicaea and the church fathers. Benedictus Vernierus was a monk from Bourges. It proves very difficult to gather biographical information; it seems that a cardinal of the 13th century bears the same name. The work appears as a compilation of quotations on the Eucharist, from the Gospels, according to the Church Fathers and the writings left by the Council of Nicaea. We thus have a succession of names each with a short paragraph: Aurelius, Eusebius, Gregorius, S. Bruno...

First edition. A title-frontispiece by Du Roy. Title pages in red and black. 7 pages of musical score. A title-frontispiece for the Suitte de la chaire des curez.

Contemporary full vellum binding. Smooth unlettered spine. Spine stitching loosened, causing the quires to protrude. Soiling. Scattered foxing. Dampstain to upper margin extending to around p. 200. Leaves 363 and 361 transposed. Leaves 13 to 49 of the second book, horizontal bookworm damage through the middle of the text, 3cm long, with loss of words, continuing on the last 20 leaves. Large pale yellow dampstain on the last 30 leaves of the second part. The stitching of the second part is very loose.
A practical manual for the profession of parish priest, providing answers to very concrete situations in a priest's life, for ceremonies, rites, exorcisms, parishioners, curses... The work went through many editions.

Rare first edition. This book is said to have been printed in Sedan.

Contemporary full brown speckled sheep binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated. Red morocco title label. Headcaps and corners skillfully restored. Good copy.
Voltaire attributed this violent pamphlet against monastic life to Abbé Du Bellay and made extensive use of it in his Philosophical Dictionary. The author addresses the work to Hermodore, one of the dialoguists of the Secret Conversations. Pithois is said to have compiled writings by Camus, particularly his Response to the Conversations of Hermodore, as seen in the title on p. 1.

The rare first edition, illustrated with a handsome frontispiece by Van der Laan and engraved by Bernart. Title pages printed in red and black. Attribution to Bruys is sometimes contested by bibliographers. Two letters defending the work against criticism can be found in volumes I and III.

Contemporary mottled sheep binding. Richly decorated raised spine. Red morocco title labels, brown morocco volume labels. Head of volume I partly lacking, volumes III and IV torn away, same at tail of volume IV. Worming to boards, quite present on the boards of volume IV. Joints of volume IV cracked. Despite the defects, spines in good appearance.
The work became a constantly exploited reference on the history of the popes. The book was condemned at the time by both Catholics and Protestants. Even if according to Brunet it contains inaccuracies, which is quite normal in a work of such scope, we must praise today what was once severely criticized, even by Brunet who considered that the book was written as a charge against Rome. The work is eminently critical and in no way seeks to make an apology for the papacy, the author acting as a historian, and drawing contrasted portraits, noting as many faults as qualities, and always relating the life of the pope to history.

Very rare first Viennese edition, illustrated with 366 figures by Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner. Remarkable baroque iconography. Only one copy located in electronic library catalogues at Strasbourg, one copy at Cambridge and another at Oxford.
Contemporary half brown sheep bindings, spines with raised bands decorated with fillets, green sheep title and volume labels. Skilful restorations to joints and headcaps. Rubbing to speckled paper boards. Although pagination is continuous across the four volumes and collation appears complete, we note the absence of a title page to the third part (binder's oversight?).
Engraved bookplate Froissart, second manuscript bookplate Augustin Sotteau.

First edition, rare. This is the second book devoted by the author to this subject. Manuscript bibliographical note on the endpaper, in black ink, by F. Annibal Destouches, 1834.
Half glazed camel calf binding. Spine with false raised bands decorated with fleurons. Long-grain morocco boards with gilt roll border.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding, speckled. Decorated spine with raised bands. Gilt title. Small lack at head. Tailcap partly worn. Upper joint cracked at head and foot over 7 cm. Corners bumped.

First edition of all the texts comprising the collection. Each of the funeral orations features a title vignette with the arms of the deceased and a second as a title headpiece with a medallion portrait as well as a tailpiece. The dates of the orations range between 1695 and 1714. The two letters from Cardinal de Noailles that conclude the collection date respectively from 1712 and 1714.

Contemporary full brown speckled and glazed sheep binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated. Havana morocco title label. Roulette on the leading edges. Rubbing to headcaps and joints. Scuffing and brown stains on the upper part of the front board. 2 dampstains on the Duke of Berry's oration, at top and bottom of page on the first 4 leaves. Good and solid binding.
Gift inscription "Guillaume Ranneville 1714" in pen on the endpaper.
The two letters from Cardinal de Noailles concern firstly a defense against his detractors and secondly a justification of his position on the Constitution Unigenitus which divided the French clergy; in this letter the cardinal reiterates his condemnation of the Port-Royal Bible.
 

First bilingual edition translated and annotated by Le Maistre de Sacy. Ruled copy. Text in double columns.

Contemporary full burgundy morocco binding. Jansenist spine with raised bands. Roll tooling on edges and board-edges. All edges gilt. Trace of dampstain in lower margin of first leaves fading away, reappearing on some leaves in the middle and at the end.
Before appearing in its entirety in 1696 under the secular title Bible de Port-Royal, Pierre Thomas du Fossé gathered the various manuscripts left by Le Maistre de Sacy at his death in 1684 and published them punctually. He continued the unfinished work and published separately first the translations of the Vulgate by Le Maistre de Sacy. Each chapter is followed by its explanation and commentary. Before this considerable work by the writers of Port-Royal, never had the Bible been so accessible to a wide public; this work which was inaugurated by the translation of the New Testament as early as 1666 by Antoine Arnaud and Le Maistre de Sacy.