Item #8497 Etudes de la Nature. Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint Pierre.
Etudes de la Nature.
Etudes de la Nature.

Etudes de la Nature.

Paris: Pierre F. Didot & Mequignon, 1784. Hardcover. 1784 -1788. 4 volumes, 12mo, with a difficult publication history. The 1st 3 volumes are the 1st edition; although the 4th volume states it is the 3rd edition, this is the first dition published containing the containing the story of "PAUL ET VIRGINIE", which became wildly popular. The fourth volume also contains a 70Ppp "Avis" in which the author attempts to prove his geographical beliefs by drawingon all three of Cook's voyages and his barimetric readings; pere Charlevoix in Nouvelle-France; Crevecoeur in Ohio; Linschoten & Barents; Byron; Middleton.

Volume 1 - 623pp, black and white frontis by Moreau le jeune, a folding map of the Western Hemisphere, "Hemisphere Atlantique" showing the ship route, which goes around Cape Horn and approaches the ice at the Antarctic entitled "Route de Cook autour du Pole"'; Volume 2 - 631pp, 3 folding plates of flowers & botanical subjects; Volume 3 - 574 pp; Volume 4, "Troisieme Edition, revue, corrigee et augmentee", and lists both printers Didot and Mequignon - 532pp, 4pp approbations & privilege du Roi. Copper engraved plates. Bound in period full mottled calf, spine in compartments. Gilt decoration somewhat dulled & spines generally worn with large chip of lower spine of vol. 4, which also has a long verticle split but a most pleasant set, all edges red, pristine internally. Spence 1024. Includes the widely read 18th century story "PAUL ET VIRGINIE" which is set on the Isle de France, considered part of the Antarctic territories, thus it is included in Spence.

This copy conforms to a copy held by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, listed separately as
OCLC: 1657965; OCLC: 165796566; 165796569; OCLC: 165796572. The 1st 3 volumes published by Didot, 1784; the 4th vol, Didot and Mequignon, and "Troisieme Edition, revue, corrigee et augmentee" Item #8497

Price: $2,500.00