VOLTAIRE, Francois-Marie Arouet de; COLLYER, Joseph (translator).

Select Pieces of M. De Voltaire.

Name: Select Pieces of M. De Voltaire.
Brand: VOLTAIRE, Francois-Marie Arouet de; COLLYER, Joseph (translator).
SKU: 120790
Price: 1092.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Select Pieces of M. De Voltaire.

Viz. Zadig; or Destiny. An Eastern History. Memnon. A Letter from a Turk. Glory: A Conversation with a Chinese. A Discourse on Printed Lies. Considerations on History. Folly on both Sides. On the Contradictions of this World. On Titles of Honour. On the Imbellishments of Paris. The King of Prussia's first Letter to Mr. de Voltaire; with his Answer. A Funeral Elogium on the Officers who died in the last War, &c. &c. &c. Translated from the French, by Joseph Collyer, author of Felicia to Charlotte.

Stock Code 120790

London, Printed for D. Wilson, and T. Durham, in the Strand, 1754.

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first edition

The first edition of this scarce collection of works and letters by Voltaire (1694-1788) in English translation, including his philosophical novella Zadig, excerpts from the Dictionnaire Philosophique, the whole of which was not translated into English until 1765, and the first letter from Frederick II of Prussia to Voltaire and his reply.

The translator Joseph Collyer (1714/5-1776) was a bookseller and treasuer of the Stationer's Company. Although the title-page of the present work designates him as the 'Author of Felicia to Charlotte', this novel is usually attributed to his wife Mary Collyer (1716/7-1762), best-known as the English translator of Marivaux's La vie de Marianne.

First edition; 12mo (17.5 x 10.5 cm); presentation inscription in pen to front free endpaper verso, related bookplate to front pastedown, ownership inscription in pencil to front free endpaper recto, C1-3 and G12-H1 trimmed close at fore-edge; contemporary sprinkled calf, double gilt-filet borders, spines likewise ruled in gilt, corners slightly bumped, small split upper joint, a little weak but holding, very good; xv, [1], 284pp.

ESTC T47430.

Provenance

Provenance: 'Richard Rice given by W[illiam] Cooke' (presentation inscription to front pastedown).

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