Lot n° 242
Estimation :
150 - 200
EUR
Jean-Baptiste de Boyer Marquis d'Argens, Chinese Letters, or - Lot 242
Jean-Baptiste de Boyer Marquis d'Argens, Chinese Letters, or Philosophical, Historical & Critical Correspondence, Between a Chinese Traveller to Paris & his Correspondents to China, Moscovia, Persia & Japan. By the Author of Jewish & Cabalistic Letters. New edition, Augmented by New Letters, Quantity of Remarks, &c. At The Hague, by Pierre Gosse, 1751. 149 letters of 8 pp. each, bound in 5 vol. in-12, marbled havana calf, spine decorated with nerves, red morocco title and tomaison pieces, red edges (period binding). Second enlarged edition. A periodical written by Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens, which aims to complete the panorama of civilizations launched by the Jewish Letters; it is now a question of "comparing the customs of the different nations of Europe with those of the Chinese and Asian countries". "With the Chinese Letters, marked by more erudition, but less liveliness and fantasy than the Jewish Letters, the series of periodic letters of the Marquis d'Argens comes to an end. The periodic collection has the interest of revealing a publicist attached to the main claims of the Enlightenment "worthy enemy of fanaticism", "superstionis destructor", to use Voltaire's words. Volume I opens with two letters to the editors of the Journal Helvétique. Small epiderminations with lack of leather on volumes I, III and IV. Sgard, 799. Vichy, 2154
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