[GROUVELLE, Philippe-Antoine] Mémoires historiques sur les templiers, ou Éclaircissemens nouveaux sur leur histoire, leur procès, les accusations intentées contre eux, et les causes secrètes de leur ruine; puisés, en grande partie, dans plusieurs monumens ou écrits publiés en Allemagne; par Ph. G***. Paris F. Buisson an XIII-1805 In-8° : front-xvi-410 pp. (qqs foxing, rare underlining and annotations, including one on title). Blonde marbled contemporary basane, fine gilt lace around boards, smooth spine gilt decorated in the grotesque style, brown title-stamp (very worn, jaws partly split, lack of headpieces and stamps, corners bare). First edition of this study attributed to P.-A. Grouvelle (1757-1806), poet and playwright, French minister to Copenhagen in 1793, corresponding member of the Institut. Work adorned with an aquatint portr. of Jacques de Molay by Tassaert. The author gives a.o. a translation of the dissertation (in German) by Danish scholar F. Münter, "a new and ingenious apology, and the most solid that has appeared in favor of the Templars" (p. xv), chapters on the relationship between Templars and Freemasons, the Gnostic figure of Baphomet, the mysterious idol that the Knights Templar were accused of worshipping, etc. Ref. Saffroy 6380. - Cioranescu 18th c. 32804. - Caillet 4801. - Dorbon 1997. Prov. M. et Mme Paul Melleret (étiq.). - Armorial bookplate mod. Joint, original ed.: Ménestrier, Claude-François - Le véritable art du blason, et l'origine des armoiries [...]. Lyon, B. Coral, 1671. In-12 (plates incomplete, dampstaining, small worm tract in fine, some mss underlining). Contemporary calf (lower edge missing, jaws partly split, corners dull). Prov. Nicolas Gurdée (early ms. mention). - Library stamps and stamps. - Ex-libris armorié mod. (2 vols.)