Les Essais de Michel Seigneur de Montaigne. Edition Nouvelle, Prise Sur L'Exemplaire Trouvé Apres le Deces de L'Autheur

Leiden (i.e. Geneva): Jean Doreau, 1602. Early Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Very Good Condition. 18th century acid calf, front hinge split and front board a little loose, scrape to one board. Place of printing obscured on title and Leyden written above - a false imprint, almost certainly Geneva. Old signature to title, scattered annotations and underlinings to text neatly in an early hand, mild browning, small paper repair to the preface, generally quite clean. (lxxii), 1031pp with the preface by his "fille d'alliance" Marie de Gournay, and the analytical table which is sometimes lacking, and the integral blank at d8. Bookplate of General J. Doreau and a letter laid in from a bookseller about the purchase of this book and other Jean Doreau editions. Graesse V4 579, PMM 95 (1580 1st edition), Brunet V3 434. First published in 1580, the third book was added in 1588, the last edition during Montaigne's lifetime. "Montaigne devised the essay form in which to express his personal convictions and private meditations, a form in which he can hardly be said to have been anticipated." The table entitles "Les Pages du Sieur de Montaigne, Où sont contenues les plus rare remarques de son liure..." is not present in all of the printings and is (according to Buchon) the first such table to appear since 1595. Size: Octavo (8vo). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Essays & Literary Criticism; Antiquarian & Rare. Inventory No: 045155.