MESSANCE Recherches sur la population des généralités d’Auvergne, de Lyon, de Rouen, et de quelques provinces et villes du royaume, avec des réflexions sur la valeur du bled tant en France qu’en Angleterre, depuis 1674 jusqu’en 1764.

Einaudi 3852 ; Goldsmiths' 10185 ; Kress 6364 ("also attributed to abbé Joseph Audra and to M. de La Michaudière") ; INED 3152.

First edition.

According to Kress this work should be, albeit the name indicated on the title page, attributed to either l'abbé Audra or La Michaudière.

This highly important essay precedes Malthus' seminal work On Population (London 1798) by three decades. Messance combines detailed information on many important French cities such as Lyon, Rouen, Paris, Toulon, Marseille, Aix, Clermont-Ferrand, Avignon, Le Havre ; the demographic situation of Geneva is also mentioned.

Fine copy, complete with the last leaf of the bookseller's catalogue. Attractive contemporary French binding, with the spine beautifully decorated with a special tool depicting a sheaf of wheat.

Provenance : Charles de Croze (autograph note on front flyleaf 'à Charles de Croze et à ses amis').