VENDU
2 volumes, 12mo (153 x 88 mm) 8 nn.ll., 416 pp. for volume I ; 10 nn.ll., 466 pp. Contemporary olive green morocco, large gilt decoartive border on covers, flat spine gilt in 'alla gotesque' style, lettering pieces in red and citron morocco, gilt edges.
1 in stock
See Tchemerzine-Scheler, III, 960 ; Brunet, III, 801.
A very fine edition printed in Trévoux according to Brunet.
It contains the following 9 dialogues (5 in the first volume and four in the second): 1. De la Philosophie sceptique. 2. Le Banquet sceptique. 3. De la Vie privée. 4. Des Rares et éminentes qualités des ansnes de ce temps. 5. De la Divinité. 6. De l'Ignorance louable. 7. De l'Opiniastreté. 8. De la Politique. 9. Du Mariage.
La Mothe Le Vayer (1588-1672), a philosopher, philologist and historian, was one of the leading exponents of 17th-century libertine thought. He published his first five dialogues in the early months of 1630 under the pseudonym Orasius Tibero, with a fanciful date and address (Frankfurt 1506). This first book, highly esteemed by commentators of his time and today, contains highly developed dialogues with great freedom of tone, all the themes that would be dear to him and that he would develop for decades before his death. His work was never prosecuted, and La Mothe Le Vayer was highly regarded by both Cardinal de Richelieu and Cardinal de Mazarin. The latter entrusted him, along with Anne of Austria, with the education of Philippe d'Anjou (1640-1701) in the spring of 1649. La Mothe's writings bear witness to his desire to teach Christian scepticism, which opposes and analyses dogma. "Son œuvre s'est attachée continuellement à faire la démonstration des vertus de la suspension d'esprit, fondée sur une étendu maximale de des connaissances "(France-mémoire.fr).
"His many philosophical works include De la vertu des païens (1642; “On the Goodness of the Pagans”); a treatise entitled Du peu de certitude qu’il y a dans l’histoire (1668; “On the Lack of Certitude in History”), which marked a beginning of historical criticism in France; and five skeptical Dialogues, published posthumously under the pseudonym Orosius Tubero, which are concerned, respectively, with diversity in opinions, variety in customs of life and sex roles, the value of solitude, the virtue of the fools of his time, and differences in religion" (Britannica on-line).
Very nice copy, nicely bound at the time.
Provenance : book plates of Samuel Turner and Marigue de Champrepys.
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