[Lesuire, Robert Martin.]

The Savages of Europe. From the French. [Translated by James Pettit Andrews]

London: Printed by Dryden Leach for T. Davies, 1764. First English edition. Lesuire's original edition was published in 1760. Copper engraved frontispiece and three additional copper engravings. Binding extremities rubbed with some wear and minor chipping to tail of spine and upper corner of front board. Front hinge slightly cracked. Some light offsetting, slight toning, and minor foxing. Pencil annotation on verso of front flyleaf. Armorial bookplate on front pastedown. A very good copy. Half morocco over marbled boards with gilt-lettered and gilt-ruled spine. Marbled edges. Small octavo. . [4], iii, [1, blank], 144 pp. Item #16227

Robert Martin Lesuire (1737-1815) was a French author, whose first novel Les Sauvages d'Europe, was a satire of British life. The novel's two young protagonists encounter a variety of troubles and mishaps while in England and decide that the British are somewhere between man and beast after they witness riots, hangings, corruption, and endure extreme Francophobia and unpalatable food.

James Pettit Andrews (1737-1797) was a British historian and translator. According to the preface, he "picked up the original by accident, as he was making a tour on the Continent: - he was struck with the humour of it, and took it into his head, that though, in the satire, the failings of Englishmen are exaggerated beyond all reason, yet it might, on the whole, be of some use to his countrymen, to know in what light they are seen by foreigners...It is only necessary to add, that very few liberties have been taken in the translation; the author of Les Sauvages of Europe was too well acquainted with the English laws and customs to make many alterations necessary..."

Price: $600.00