Lettre sur l’homme … — Paris 1772

Lettre sur l’homme et ses rapports … — Paris, n. p., 1772.

First and only pirate printing of any of Hemsterhuis‘ works

8vo (182 x 120 mm). 68 pp. Bound between a Th. Paine (1792) and an „Ouvrage posthume“ of Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1803?). Preromantic binding in full calf, joints starting. Covers and spine richly gilt and blindstamped.

Stoddard 4b.

Stoddard (p. 188) locates two copies: „There is a duodecimo edition [of Lettre sur l’homme …] that is to be found in all the usual libraries, but there is also an octavo edition located so far only at the BnF and Landesbibliothek Gotha“ – the online catalogue of Gotha mentions a duodecimo edition only.

I found a second copy in Tresoar/Leeuwarden (signature: C 53086 kluis).

This octavo edition is not supervised by Hemsterhuis but is a pirated edition. The date „1772“ my be a fake. Obviously a rare book.