296 - VOLTAIRE. The Age of Louis XIV.

VOLTAIRE. The Age of Louis XIV. Berlin, C.F. Henning, 1753. In-12 (17 x 9.5 cm), marbled havana calf, smooth spine decorated with panels. Red edges. 3 vols.: 5 ff. 488 pp. - 1 ff. 466–70 pp. - XXVIII–294–(4)–272 pp. Paper slightly yellowed. Provenance: Ex Bibliotheca presbyterorum Seminarii Sti Sulpitii (ex-libris and wet stamp). This edition was published two years after the rare original by the same publisher. It also includes 70 pages of additions and corrections by the author, appearing here for the first time. One of Voltaire’s major works, which he wrote in Cirey at the request of the Marquise du Châtelet, with whom he was staying. His book is a philosophical work: his aim is not to dwell on the details of events, but to identify enduring characteristics, to help readers understand the spirit of the nation, to define general laws, and ultimately to offer a reflection on humanity. The first edition, which was later expanded, appeared in 1751, and for many years afterward, the writer conducted numerous lectures, which he took care to supplement with oral accounts—things he had seen and heard—that would enhance the vividness of his text. A very fine copy, bound in its original binding, complete in three volumes.