MILLON
240
-
MICHELET (Jules). *La Sorcière*.
See original version (French)
240
-
MICHELET (Jules). *La Sorcière*.
See original version (French)
Estimate €20 - €30
Voluntary lot
Description
MICHELET (Jules). *La Sorcière*. Paris, Dentu, November 1862.
In-12 ½, red shagreen, ribbed spine decorated with embossed squares, title in gold.
2nd original edition, with the passages censored in the first Hachette edition (which has become virtually impossible to find) removed from the preface and the chapter ‘“Le Père Girard et La Cadière”’.
“Michelet had indeed reached an agreement with Hachette for the publication of his book. But on the very day it went on sale, Mr Templier took fright – a little too late, to be sure – at a passage in the Preface, and, acting on his own authority, had all the copies ready for delivery withdrawn, and the covers and titles bearing the name ‘Hachette’ pulped. Dentu bought back the edition in sheets, had blanks printed for the passages that had horrified Mr Templier, and put the book on sale dated ‘November 1862’, Paris, Hetzel Collection, E. Dentu (...) in-12, XXIV, 460 pp.” Caillet.
“Continuing his exploration of man right down to hell, Michelet found in witchcraft a sort of counterpart to Love. The embodiment of supernatural forces in women and their struggle against the Church’s proscriptions form the subject of the book. A scandalous subject that did not fail to attract the attention of the Minister of Justice. The latter referred the matter to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. However (...) this work was not seized in France. Hachette did not put the book on sale, and the entire print run is said to have been pulped. Indeed, only a few copies are known to exist. Following intervention by the Imperial Prosecutor, part of the introduction had to be removed; an expurgated edition appeared in November 1862 in the ‘Collection Hetzel’ published by E. Dentu (...) On the fifth page of the half-titles there is an erratum. Word of the seizure certainly spread throughout Paris. The complete work was in high demand, and so, in the same year, a second edition, revised and expanded by the author, was published in Brussels by Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Co. This edition contains passages missing from the Hachette edition, but it is incomplete in that it lacks the two pages relating to the trial of Father Girard and La Cadière.” Talvart. Very slight scattered foxing; otherwise a good copy. (Vicaire, V, 835, Caillet 7258, Talvart & Place XV-61.)
Also included: ALHOY (Maurice), *Physiologie de la Lorette*. Illustrations by GAVARNI. Paris, Aubert and Lavigne, undated (1841). In-32, half thick brown shagreen, ribbed spine, gilt title, cover (soiled) preserved. First edition. Foxing. (Vicaire, VI, 607.)
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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