First Editions

First edition. Royal families of Europe. Set of the French administration.

Copy with the cipher of Marie Amélie d'Orléans, wife of Louis-Philippe, who also used a simple monogram for bindings from the time he became king. Some of the almanacs were directly bound by the publisher for the royal family, these copies often bear simple marks, the publisher not having the stamps belonging to the sovereigns. Nothing formally attests however that this is a copy for Marie Amélie d'Orléans, it is on the other hand certain that this copy was intended for a member of the royal family whose M is the first name. Furthermore Marie Amélie is only the name known today of the queen, who, like all members of the nobility at this time, had several names: Marie Amélie Louis Hélène.
Deluxe publisher's binding in full straight-grained olive green morocco. Spine with false raised bands decorated with 4 elaborately gilt compartments. Covers bearing a large ornamental panel with rococo and floral garlands. Edges gilt. Rich decorative gilt board-edges. Small lacks to head. 2 corners slightly bumped and the other 2 damaged. Some foxing on the first leaves and the last (more heavily marked).
Very handsome and rare copy in full green morocco with cipher.

First edition illustrated with 47 charming emblematic figures arranged on 13 plates on fine paper and a title headpiece. Only the title vignette is signed Gaudier. Lacking the frontispiece. Each figure in a medallion features the sun in a dominant position and a symbolic element such as a musical instrument, a landscape, an animal, as well as a Latin motto. Rare printing from Aix-en-Provence.

Late 19th-century Bradel binding in half beige cloth. Smooth spine with dark red shagreen title label running lengthwise. The plates have slightly narrower outer margins than the leaves. Some foxing, particularly on the title page.

First edition, second issue. The first of 1784 contains only 212pp. against 403 for this one, which has been expanded with the translation of Price's work: "Observations on the Importance of the American Revolution". Turgot's letter and Price's book benefit from a half-title.

Later, modern binding. Pastiche blonde cardboard Bradel binding. Smooth spine with pink sheep title and volume labels. Spine lightly darkened. Rubbing. Uncut copy, bound directly from the original wrappers. The first 2 leaves browned. Scattered browning. Last leaf with lack to lower right corner.

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.

First edition. The second part is regarded as rare, since Prussia ordered the manuscript to be seized and the copies burned, although in fact the second part is found in many sets.
Contemporary full mottled brown calf binding. Spine with raised bands richly gilt. Red morocco lettering-piece. Lower headcap partly torn. Abrasion to the lower cover with loss along the joint. Two corners rubbed. A brown stain in the upper margin of p. 49, about 2 cm. Loss in the margin at the corner of p. 144, not affecting the text. Marbled endpaper with a cut along the outer margin. Some gatherings browned. A good copy.