Voltaire

1732 · ref. 357794 — Covent-Garden London England: Printed for Alexander Lyon 1732. Second Edition Corrected. Hardcover. Good. 12mo 7" - 7. Stated Second Edition Corrected the original edition in the original French having been published the year prior and includes "A New and Correct Map of Sweden" in fold-out up-front two-panel and quite fine in clarity and sharpness. A perfectly serviceable reference copy; nothing fancy but complete and still pretty sturdy. Bound in a short octavo hardcover format 7 3/4" x 5" tall and wide respectively. Joints cracked stitches showing but holding tips and edges scuffed but still stands solidly on its own on the shelf. Fine black-and-white engraving of the 12th King Charles of Sweden at frontis by Vandergucht and a lovely publisher device opposite at title page. Original calf binding scaling but intact. Five raised bands to spine chipping to spine head. Text remarkably free of foxing; interior crisp and white and surprisingly bright. Housed in a custom-made clamshell box oatmeal sailcloth with oblong brown leather label affixed neatly to front panel gilt title stamped there. Contains signature "Chr. Wren Junr. 1737" on front endpaper then also inside front flap and below first signature all in pen not yet authenticated signature of the architect's son who died in 1747. Sir Christopher Wren 30 October 1632 - 8 March 1723 the noted influential English architect astronomer mathematician and physicist was best known for having conceived and had built St. Paul's Cathedral but also according to his Wikipedia entry "the Royal Hospital Chelsea the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich and the south front of Hampton Court Palace." He was also the father of the perhaps former owner of the present volume Christopher Wren Jr. The Senior Wren's career having been established in full by 1669 he in that year at age 37 married his childhood neighbor "the 33-year-old Faith Coghill daughter of Sir John Coghill of Bletchingdon" and who for him bore two children "Gilbert born October 1672 who suffered from convulsions and died at about 18 months old and Christopher born February 1675. The younger Christopher was trained by his father to be an architect. It was this Christopher that supervised the topping out ceremony of St Paul's in 1710 and wrote the famous Parentalia or Memoirs of the family of the Wrens." Were it authentic the signature here would put him as having been roughly 62 years of age at signing 1675–1747; Christopher Wren Jr. "of Wroxall Abbey Warwickshire was a Member of Parliament" Wikipedia. xi 2 2-371 pp. All in an attractive early edition of an important work and perhaps with exceeding provenance.Member I.O.B.A. C.B.A. and adherent to the highest ethical standards. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes and for sets. Printed for Alexander Lyon hardcover