Rivarol

1808 · réf. 61959 — à Paris: Chez Léopold Collin 1808. Fine. Chez Léopold Collin à Paris 1808 12.50 x 20.50 cm 5 volumes reliés The rare first collected edition with a frontispiece portrait. This edition contains most of Rivarol's writings and notably numerous short pieces but it is not entirely complete; certain royalist or monarchist writings were not retained in this edition under the Empire. At the beginning of the fifth volume a letter from Madame Rivarol thanking the publisher for having removed the calumnious and mendacious notice from volume I. This notice indeed has been removed from numerous volumes. Contemporary bindings in full marbled brown sheep. Spines decorated with 5 different small fleurons. Dark brown calf title and volume labels. Headcaps torn away except at foot of volume I. Set heavily rubbed with some lacks to spines. Joints of volume I cracked at head and foot. Upper joint of volume 5 cracked. All corners bumped. A controversial figure in Parisian salons for his great facility of speech and his striking repartee Rivarol of modest extraction passed himself off as noble; he was at once a political journalist critic writer and lexicographer and linguist; his work on language is particularly remarkable. This edition contains a biographical notice by Fayolle and Chênedollé the Prospectus for a new dictionary of the French language On intellectual and moral man - On the nature of language and the origin of speech; On the universality of the French language; Letters to M. Necker; various pieces and critiques notably a review of The influence of passions by Madame de Staël; the translation adaptation of Dante's Inferno; Extracts from the political and national journal; Thoughts traits and various witticisms as well as diverse pieces. Chez Léopold Collin unknown