76 - MAISTRE (Joseph de) - *Evenings in St. Petersburg, or Discussions on the Temporal Government of Providence*. Paris: Librairie grecque, latine et française, 1821. 2 vols. Contemporary fawn calfskin bindings; covers adorned with embossed borders and black fillets accented with gold dots; smooth spines decorated with gold and embossed motifs, marbled edges.

MAISTRE (Joseph de) - *Evenings in St. Petersburg, or Discussions on the Temporal Government of Providence*. Paris: Librairie grecque, latine et française, 1821. 2 vols. Contemporary fawn calfskin bindings; covers adorned with embossed borders and black fillets accented with gold dots; smooth spines decorated with gold and embossed motifs, marbled edges. First edition published shortly after the author’s death, featuring a lithographed portrait of him as a frontispiece. A FAMOUS WORK ON POLITICS, justifying temporal and spiritual powers, which left a lasting impression on some of the greatest minds of its time. As ambassador for the King of Sardinia, Maistre had spent fifteen years in Saint Petersburg; the book compiles the conversations he had on the banks of the Neva with two interlocutors, a Russian and a Frenchman. The eleven conversations are followed by an “Explanation of Sacrifices,” whose three chapters defend divine authority. - Copy in ornate Romantic-style bindings. Bookplates: Albert de Loisy – Henri Burton – Jean LARTEGUY. Formerly part of the Jean LARTEGUY collection, acquired through the estate of Mrs. L.