375 / 444
325
tr. rouges. Sans le t. VII. Une des nombr. rééditions de la trad. partielle du “Spectator”, périodique
fondé en 1711 par Steele & Addison. (10 vol., provenance: famille princière belge)
1378 HOLBACH, Paul Henri Dietrich d’ or FERRET, Nicolas
- Recherches sur les miracles. Par
l’auteur de l’Examen des apologistes de la religion chrétienne. London (= Amsterdam?), s.n., 1773,
8vo, cont. marbl. calf, covers with triple gilt ruled border, richly gilt flat spine, green silk marker,
[4]-172 pp. (occ. spotting). Very good copy.
€ 150/250
Critique on the Christian belief in miracles, variously attributed to N. Ferret (1688-1749) or to
d’Holbach (1723-1789).
Ref.
STCN (3). Conlon 73:817.
~ No copy in STCN ~
1379
[HOLBACH, Paul Henri Dietrich d’]
- Histoire critique de Jésus-Christ, ouAnalyse raisonnée des
Evangiles. Amsterdam, [s.n.], 1778, 8vo, cont. sheep, flat spine, yellow edges, marbl. endpapers,
xxxii-304 pp. (paper age-toned, ticket removed from the blank bottom part of title). Good copy.
€ 200/300
“Holbach’s All-Out Assault on the Christian Gospels. This is the last of five works listed by the
Encyclopedia of Philosophy as being important to Holbach’s “second phase” of writing activity
which consisted of a relentless militancy against organized religion in general and the Catholic
Church in particular”. “The theme recurring throughout these books represented a vehement
restatement of almost all the arguments for unbelief current in eighteenth-century France. The
most characteristic are the following: the idea and cult of God sprang from the ignorant terror of
primitive man seeking to placate the destructive powers of nature, and they have survived ever since
through superstition; religious history is a catalogue of senseless disputes, intolerance, prejudice,
persecution and crime; the clergy is ordinarily engaged in exploiting the gullibility of the people
for its own profit; religions have invariably support tyrannical governments to further their own
ambitions of domination; scriptural ‘proofs’ of Christianity are worthless as objective historical
evidence; theological dogmas are a maze of delusion and mystification on which no rational, just
of useful social institution can be built.” (Encyclopedia of Philosophy, vol. IV, pp.49-50). Old ms.
notes on pp. 242-243-244. Bookseller’s stamp.
Ref.
Vercruysse (Holbach) 1778.A1. Not in BL, BnF,
STCN.
1380
[HOLBACH, Paul Henri Dietrich d’]
- La contagion sacrée, ou Histoire naturelle de la superstition.
Ouvrage traduit de l’Anglais. Tome premier (- second). London, [s.n.], 1775, 2 vols, 12mo, 19th-c.
red half morocco, gilt titled spines, decorative endpapers, 188, [4]-192 pp. (sm. ink stain on I:14).
Very good, partly uncut copy.
€ 200/300
3rd “London” ed. (1st 1768) of the atheist manifesto of Baron d’Holbach (1723-1789). “Bien que
le texte fût présenté comme une traduction de Jean Trichard, l’oeuvre est bien du baron d’Holbach.
Cette histoire de la superstition est un réquisitoire sans pitié contre les persécutions et les tyrannies
politiques et religieuses quelles qu’elles furent, qui firent régner la terreur par la peur et le fanatisme
tant que par ambition politique” (Le Feu Follet). Bookseller’s stamp.
Ref.
Vercruysse (Holbach)
1775.A3. ESTC T202881 (“printed on the continent”; no copy in UK). Cp. Conlon 68:959 (1st ed.).
Not in BnF, STCN.
1381
[Italy - Rome]
-
DESSEINE, François
- Beschryving van oud en nieuw Rome, verdeelt in drie
deelen [trsl. from the French and the Latin] Willem van Ranouw. Amsterdam, Fr. Halma, 1704,
[28]-160 pp. [bound with]
KENNET, Basilius
– De aaloudheden van Rome, of Beschryving van
de geleerdheyd en opvoeding der Romeynen [trsl. from the English] W. Sewel. Ibidem, 1704, [10]-
260-[22] pp., 2 works in 1 vol., folio, cont. sheep (worn, spine gone), blue edges. Good copy.
€ 200/400
1.
Pt. I (of III), complete in itself, of a cont. French standard work on Rome, dealing with Ancient
Rome (pts II-III with postclassical Rome).
Engr. ills
: front., folding maps of “Italia Antiqua” and