Idee General des Sciences.
Paris: Martin Jouvenel et George Jouvenel, 1696. First edition of the first work; first edition in book form of the second, though it only contains a portion of the work. Engraved title page, headbands, and initial letters. Crown of spine worn away less than 1/4." Other binding extremities lightly rubbed with minor scuffing to boards. Contemporary ink signature on title page. A very good copy. [Bound with:]. Le Noble, [Eustache]. La Grotte des Fables...Par Mr. Noble. A Paris: George Jouvenel and Martin Jouvenel, 1696. Twelvemo in five parts (parts 9-14). 36 pp each. Contemporary mottled calf and gilt-tooled spine with gilt-lettered red morocco label. Edges stained red. Marbled endpapers. Twelvemo. [4], 84 pp. Item #17439
Ideé General des Sciences contains fifteen articles for young students in a questions-and- answers format about many topics including theology, philosophy, and medicine. Parts nine through thirteen from a fourteen part series published in a weekly periodical. Copper-engraved frontispiece and publisher's woodcut monogram on the title page for each. Likely bound together with Ideé...because they were both intended for a juvenile audience and were published in the same year.
After a life that included banishment and prison, Eustache Le Noble (1643-1711) began a prolific writing career. He was one of the most popular novelists in France. OCLC lists only two copies of Idee..., both of which are in Germany; OCLC lists 5 copies of La Grotte des Fables that are complete (parts 1-14).
Price: $500.00