Lettres de Monsieur le Chavalier de Mété. 2 vols. - [DE MÉRÉ'S LETTERS]

Paris, Denis Thierry & Claude Barbin, 1682. 8vo. Uniformly bound in two contemporary full calf bindings with five raised bands and richly gilt spines. Edges of boards gilt. Light wear to extremities, small parts of gilting worn off. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spines. Red underlignings on title-page of vol. 1, otherwise a nice and clean set. (8), 360 pp. (12), 361-710, (2) pp.

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The rare first edition of Méré’s letters to notable personalities of the times such as Ménage, Balzac, Lesdiguières, Mme de Maintenon, Pascal, Ninon de Lenclos and Madeleine de Scudéry. Chevalier de Méré (1607-1684), whose real name was Antoine Gombaud, was a French writer and thinker. De Méré was known for his contributions to literature, particularly in the of moral philosophy and social commentary. He is perhaps best remembered for his participation in the intellectual circles of his time, where he engaged in discussions and correspondences of which this work is a fine testimony. De Méré's writings, especially the present, offer insights into the social and cultural milieu of 17th-century France.