265 - [SATIRE]. [DUVERNET, Abbé]. The Dinners of Mr. Guillaume, with the Story of His Funeral.

[SATIRE]. [DUVERNET, Abbé]. The Dinners of Mr. Guillaume, with the Story of His Funeral. No place, no publisher, 1788. In-12 (17 x 10 cm), half-glazed calfskin, smooth spine. 19th-century binding. 97 pp. Slight rubbing on the headbands and edges. Rare first edition. A work composed by Abbé Duvernet, a pamphleteer and close associate of Voltaire. It is a satirical and literary narrative centered on Mr. Guillaume, a wealthy figure who organizes lavish and fashionable dinners for his circle of friends. The work is divided into three dinners. It touches on Mesmer, devotion, and the American rebels... The third dinner takes place at “Château Charolais” with “people of pleasant talents”: Vestris, Chevalier St-Georges, Balbâtre, and a few dancers. But he dies suddenly, and the second part of the book describes the events of his funeral: it reveals the hypocrisy, the contrasting reactions, and the indifference of his usual circle of acquaintances in the face of his passing. Frontispiece engraved by Dupuis showing Mr. Guillaume seated under a tree, appearing bored. A fine copy in a delicate 19th-century binding.