Search Results: Titles starting with E from Comellas Rare Books

A Ville Franche, chés Nicolas l'Enjoué, à l'Enseigne de la Vigne Fleurie, 1682. 12mo. 4 leaves. 400 pages. Contemporary full vellum. Original Edition of this very rare collection of facetious and saucy tales, following the similar collection of "Roger Bontemps en belle humeur" from 1670. Part of this original edition was reissued in 1712 under a revival title. Ink signature of an Italian reader: "1743. Di Paco Soranzo". Brunet, II, 980. Gay-Lemonnyer, II, 104. Picot-Rothschild, II, 1816. Lever, 150.

La Haye, Chez les Libraires Associés, 1767. 12mo. 3 leaves. CVI. 340 pages. 1 leaf (errata). 1 folding table. Full marbled calf, spine gilt (contemporary binding). First Edition of this work by the Marquis de Mirabeau (1715-1789), disciple of Quesnay and one of the greatest theoreticians of physiocratic doctrine. It contains the essential principles of the school and the "economic science" it represented. Mirabeau, who regarded this work as fundamental for the diffusion and understanding of the theoretical principles of the physiocratic movement, declared in his long preliminary address (106 pages) that he had written this handbook because he was the only person who could or wanted to do it and he had done it with confidence because he knew where he was going and where he was coming from. Folding plate representing the "Tabeau Economique". Good copy in contemporary binding (slightly restored). Einaudi, 3948. INED, 3197. Kress, 6477.

A Paris, 1685. in-4. 8 leaves. 110 pages. (1 blank leaf). 12 pages. 43 pages. 1 folding table and 25 out-of-text engraved plates. Contemporary full speckled calf, ornate ribbed back (discreet traces of use). First Edition. An extraordinary work of hydraulic mechanics composed by Sir Samuel Morland (1625-1695), one of the most inspired English inventors of his time, who published in 1673 the first book in English on calculating machines, and who was also one of the first to imagine the use of steam as a motive force. This work was written directly in French to be addressed to Louis XIV by means of a calligraphy and ornamented manuscript intended to obtain his patronage to design the water supply of the Palace of Versailles. Our printed edition was self-published, and printed in small numbers from this manuscript (now in the British Museum). Each copy seems to have been assembled individually as it was printed, according to a plan that was constantly revised and corrected, to the point that it is… Read More

A Amsterdam, chez Jean Néaulme (i.e. Lyon, Jean-Marie Bruyset), 1762. 4 volumes in-12. Frontispiece. 2 leaves. X. 1 leaf. 442 pages. 1 out-of-text plate. + Frontispiece. 2 leaves. 383 pages. + Frontispiece. 2 leaves. 328 pages. + Frontispiece. 2 leaves. 463 pages. 2 leaves. Full red morocco, richly ornamented smooth spines, triple gilt fillet framing the boards with corner finials, green morocco title and tomes labels, gilt fillet on the edges, gilt edges, endpapers of Augsburg spangled gilt paper (Crucifix). The third edition, published on the same date as the original, of this immediately censored text, which marks a fundamental milestone in the history of pedagogy. It was printed in Lyon with the agreement of Duchesne, the printer of the original Paris edition. It is embellished with five engraved illustrations, inspired by those by Eisen for the Paris edition. This copy is notably complete with the two privilege sheets in Dutch, inserted at the end of the fourth volume ("Privilegie. De Staaten… Read More

2 works in 1 volume, 12mo. 1). 1 leaf. 73 pages. 2). 1 leaf. 40 pagpp. Brown calf, spine ribbed and decorated (period binding). 1). Original Edition. A work on the religion of the Chinese, whom Malebranche assumed to be atheists, written in the form of a dialogue. The Jesuits criticized this work, accusing Malebranche of being a partisan of Spinoza, and various polemical writings appeared. By writing "Entretien d'un Philosophe Chrétien et d'un Philosophe Chinois sur l'Existence et la Nature de Dieu", Malebranche wanted to make his contribution to the debate pitting Jesuit missionaries against the rest of the Christian world, which was concerned about the theological concessions made to Chinese deities for the sake of effective evangelization. At the same time, he gave in to the fashion for exotic dialogues, perhaps wishing to present a small introductory manual to Malebranchism for the use of new worlds (see Pellegrin). 2). Original Edition of Malebranche's response to a review of the previous work… Read More

(à la fin: Sevilla, Juan Cromberger), 1536. Folio. 235 numbered leaves. Later full vellum, gilt frame around the boards, ornamented spine with nerves (Almeida). Magnificent gothic printing by Juan Cromberger in Seville, of this extremely rare work of piety composed in Spanish at the request of a noble lady, doña Juana de Cárdenas, for the edification of the faithful, including passages on government: how the great lords should govern their constituents, whether wars could be waged justly, etc. This work, of which all editions are rare since its first publication in 1507, was reprinted several times in the first half of the 16th century. Both the title page, which is printed in red and black, and the last page are set in a handsome illustrated woodcut frame. Small stamp "T. Norton" on title page. A fine copy. Palau, 82329: "Vicente Barrantes insinuúa que el autor podría ser el franciscano Fr. Gutiérrez de Trejo".

Milano, dall'imp. Regia stamperia, 1828. 8vo. frontispiece. 28 pages. Later boards in Bradel style. First Edition. Booklet of great rarity on the asbestos suit invented by the author to protect firefighters during their interventions. The physicist Giovanni Aldini (1762-1834), best known for his galvanic experiments, was the first to use asbestos to equip firefighters and this booklet describes in particular the experiments he had conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of his suit. Following is the catalogue of a collection of objects and instruments relating to firefighters, and belonging to the author. Spectacular engraved frontispiece depicting a firefighter equipped with the asbestos suit and plunging his face into the fire. Very good copy. On Aldini, cf. Valentin, "Travail des Hommes et savants oubliés" (1978), pp. 176-184.

s.l. (Bâle), 1750. 8vo. 6 leaves. 173 pages. (1 blank leaf). Contemporary full mottled calf, gilt spine with nerves, triple gilt fillet around the boards, gilt edges. First Edition exceedingly rare, printed in a hundred copies only and magnificently printed in Basilea at the expenses of the author who, since he was residing in Berlin, had commissioned Bernoulli for the direct supervision of the printing after his instructions. Considered by Maupertuis as his mathematical masterpiece for the elaboration of which he had obtained the support of Euler, the greatest mathematician of his time, this work contains the first intent of mathematical and metaphysical development of the famous Principle of Least Action. Already approached in the 17th century by Fermat and Leibnitz, then tackled as soon as 1744 by Maupertuis in his works on light refraction, the Principle of Least Action has evolved until our days by following the renewed concepts of modern physics and mathematics, with the successive… Read More