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Description
[RUSSIA]
Masson (Charles François Philibert)
Secret Memoirs on Russia, and in particular on the end of the reign of Catherine II and the beginning of that of Paul I, providing a picture of life in St Petersburg at the end of the 18th century. And containing numerous anecdotes gathered during a ten-year stay, concerning Catherine’s plans for her son, the latter’s eccentricities, the failed marriage of Grand Duchess Alexandra to the King of Sweden, and the character of the principal figures at that court [...] Followed by observations on the upbringing of the nobility, the customs of women, and the religion of the people.
Amsterdam, 1800–1804.
4 volumes in 8°. Full light brown sheepskin binding. Smooth spine, decorated with gilt metal tools. Speckled edges.
Volume I – Portrait, 2 blank folios, XIV pp., 345 pp. [continuous pagination, with numbering in Roman numerals], 1 blank folio, with tears – no text missing.
Volume II – Portrait, 246 pp., 1 unpaginated folio – Small stains on pages 30, 31 and 32.
Volume III – Portrait, XVI, 444 pp. –
Volume IV – VII, 328 and 10 unnumbered pp. The frontispiece portrait for Volume IV is missing.
The author spent ten years in Russia, where he served as tutor to the children of Count Nikolai Saltykov, then as private secretary to Grand Duke Alexander, the future Alexander I. Highly popular in the leading households of St Petersburg as well as at court, he was expelled from Russia by Paul I on the grounds that he was a sympathiser of the French Revolution.
In fine condition.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
Bibliophilia – A fine selection of antique and modern books
Auction location
Auction time
10/15/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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