De L'Esprit des Loix. Nouvelle Edition fait sur les Corrections de l'Auteur. [Bound with:] Défense de L'Esprit des Loix
Geneva: Barrillot & Fils, n.d. [1750]. & Geneva: Barrillot & Fils, 1750, 1750. Full Leather. Octavo. Very Good. Item #33808
Two volumes. Pp. xxviii, 463, [1]; [2], xviii, 510, 64. With half-titles, woodcut printer's devices. Lacking blank [Ii8] between final leaf of text and the "Défense". Contemporary calf, recently rebacked with gilt fleur-de-lys tools within gilt-ruled compartments between raised bands, gilt labels. Covers rubbed and a little worn at extremities, light toning to leaves, but on the whole an exceptionally clean, fresh set internally, in handsomely restored bindings. Within a year or two of its anonymous publication in Geneva in 1748, Montesquieu's masterpiece on political liberty had achieved such popularity that he was able to write, "Il y a vingt-deux éditions de mon ouvrage répandeus dans toutes l'Europe." (Gébelin, p.22). The book generated enormous controversy and its author was accused of atheism in the pages of the influential Jensenist periodical "Nouvelles Ecclésiastiques". In spite of his "Défense", published in 1750, Montesquieu's work was placed on the Index in 1751. Montesquieu died soon after, but the principles he advocated in his writings, the ideas of freedom and toleration and the natural rights of the individual went on to inspire the French and American Revolutions and provide the philosophical underpinnings of the American Constitution. The bibliographical study of the many early editions of "L'Esprit des Loix" is complicated by the abundance of piracies, many with fictitious places of publication, eg. Geneva [but Paris], Leyden [but Lyon], some even fabricated by the original publisher, Barrillot himself, eg. Amsterdam [but Geneva]. Although no copies of the work exist bearing the date of 1748, the first edition is known to have been printed at that date by Barrillot & Fils in Geneva, in 2 volumes, 4to. It contained 14 cancels, with Barrillot spelled with two r's. The first undated Paris piracy, which contains no cancels, and Barrillot with one r, appeared later in the same year. The misspelling of Barrillot was continued in some of the later Paris piracies. The present undated edition was published by Barrillot (2 r's) & Fils in Geneva, most probably in 1750. It was likely the first edition to include Montesquieu's "Défense", which was first published separately in 12mo by Barrillot & Fils in 1750. Gébelin, F. La Publication de L'Esprit des Lois. Paris, 1924. Cabeen, D.C. Montesquieu: a Bibliography. New York, 1947.
Price (CAD): $1,200.00