Louis de Montalte — Les Provinciales Ou Lettres Ecrites

Not Stated, Not stated, 1712. Leather. An eighteenth century copy of Blaise Pascal's series of philosophical essays. With engraved frontispieces to each volumes. This work is presented as a collection of eighteen letters. They were extremely popular for the use of humour, mockery and satire. A new edition of this work. With notes by William Wendrock. This work notes that it is written by 'Louis De Montalte' this was a pseudonym for Blaise Pascal. It was written during the controversy between the Jansenists and the Jesuits. These essays are a defense of the Jansenist Antoine Arnauld, a friend of Pascal who was condemned by the Faculte de Theologie at the Sorbonne in Paris. The letters attack casuistry, a rhetorical method often used by Jesuits. In French. With a prior owner's inscription to the recto of front endpaper, Philip Melvill 1792. In a full calf binding. Externally, rubbed to the joints, with loss to the head and tail of spines. Crack to the spine of volume I, not affecting the binding. Hinges and joints are strained but firm. Front free endpaper to volume II is detached but present. All volumes are firmly bound. Pages are generally bright. A few handling marks and scattered spots to the first few pages. Otherwise, just the odd spot to pages. Good . Ill.: None. Good .