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a brown leather book with gold trimmings on ita close up of a stack of books sitting on top of a tablean open book with a picture of a lion on itan open book with a black and white image of a man ' s face on itan open book with a black and white image of a man ' s face on itan old book with writing on it sitting on a table
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238 - MONTAIGNE (Michel de). The Essays.
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Estimate €400 - €600
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Description
MONTAIGNE (Michel de). The Essays. A rare pirated edition known as "Leyde A" of Montaigne’s Essays, published without the consent of the Geneva Pastors’ Company and largely seized by the authorities of that city. Leiden [Geneva], Jehan Doreau, 1602. In-8 (171 x 95 mm), full brown marbled calfskin, ribbed spine, title label in oxblood morocco, panels decorated with small filigree gilt ironwork, gilt roulette on the edges, red speckled edges. Later 18th-century binding. 4 blank folios, 1031 pages. Spine and cap bands slightly rubbed, scattered light water stains, always at the margins, corners slightly blunt, some foxing, a few loose quires. Probably published by Pyramus de Candolle, under the pseudonym Jean Doreau, this edition of Montaigne’s Essays is one of the first to bear a fictitious Dutch address. It differs from other Swiss editions in its use of the text published by Abel l’Angelier in 1598, rather than the heavily amended, almost censored version by Simon Goulart intended for a Protestant audience. This choice aroused the wrath of the Geneva Pastors’ Society, which, moreover, had not been informed of Candolle’s undertaking, and which ordered the seizure of all copies already printed. This is a copy known as "Leyde A", recognisable by the "e" on the title page and the absence of any index (unlike the "Leyde B" copies). A graphite portrait of a man in the upper corner of page 7. A hand-drawn bookplate by Silhouette dated 1739, attributed to Etienne de Silhouette (1709–1767), Comptroller-General of Finances under Louis XV; bookplate by A. Reboulet. [Tchemerzine, VIII, 412; Bibliotheca Desaniana, 34]. A fine copy of this rare edition of the Essays.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Fine antique and collectible books, manuscripts and modern illustrated works
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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