Essai sur les femmes
Amsterdam und Paris: Hochereau und Gogue, 1765. First edition, a work that explores the role of women in literature, philosophy, and religion from antiquity to the eighteenth century. Engraved title-page vignette. Binding extremities a bit worn, hinges cracked, but sound. Trivial scattered foxing, the occasional small stain, not affecting text. Very minor dampstain to lower margins of first few gatherings and lower gutter margins ranging from the last leaves of gathering L to terminal leaves. A very good copy of a scarce work. Contemporary mottled calf, gilt-tooled spine in seven compartments with repeating floral design in each one, brown morocco label lettered in gilt. Edges stained red, marbled endpapers. Twelvemo. [2], xxv, [1], 139 pp. Item #17265
Boussanelle (1720-1788.) was Captain of the regiment at Beauvilliers (1761), master of camp, and member of the Académie de Béziers. Most of his writings are military theory: Commentaires sur la cavalerie (1758); Observations militaries (1761), Reflexions militaries (1764), etc., as well as Le bon militaire (1770), where he discusses the nature of military service. This is his only book on women, and his message is that, even though women have been maligned by the great writers of history (He gives Aristotle, Socrates, Horaces, Plato, La Fontaine, Molière, and others as examples.), they have a capacity for greatness of spirit and should be taken seriously. The chapters include “De l’Amour,” “De la Galanterie, de la Coquetterie & de la Pruderie;” “De la Pudeur & la chasteté; De la fermeté & du courage des femmes; “Parallele des plus grands philosophes & des femmes illustrés;” and “Du marriage.” An interesting looking book.
OCLC lists seven copies, four in North America at Rice University (TX), UCLA, Harvard, and University of Chicago.
Price: $600.00