GALERIE, LA, des Etats-Généraux. No place, 1789. 2 volumes. - (Followed by:) GALERIE, LA, des dames françaises, pour servir de suite à la Galerie des Etats-Généraux, par le même auteur.

A Londres, 1790. Together 3 volumes bound in 1. viii, 130, (2) pp.; 174, (2) pp.; 207, (2) pp. 8vo. Modern half morocco, spine gilt in compartments, gilt lettering. Martin & Walter 22175 & 22176 (listed under Luchet); Tourneux, iv, 20635b and 20636 and 20749. Second issue of the first edition. The first volume is a 'reimpression', as Tourneux notes, but also the second volume is different and this is apparently unrecorded: this second volume has, after the title-page the 'Avis de l'Éditeur', the 'Introduction' (together covering the pages 3-18), whereas other copies of the second volume of the first work have, after the title-page, the Avis de l'Éditeur, an errata-leaf, and the introduction. Also the signatures and pagination are different. The errata-leaf is absent in this issue and the errata are corrected. These volumes have been attributed to De Luchet, Rivarol, Mirabeau, Choderlos de Laclos and Cérutti and Senac de Meilhan, either separately or in collaboration. 'C'est l'ouvrage d'un homme de talent et d'esprit' (Tourneux).This is a collection of satirical biographical sketches of the members of the French Parliament in Paris (States General; États-Généraux) during the first year of the French Revolution: among those described in these volumes are Necker, Mirabeau, the Marquis de la Fayette, the Comte de Montmorin, the Duc de Luxembourg, the Vicomte de Noailles, Clavière, Beaumarchais, Bergasse, Condorcet, Abbé Grégoire, Brissot de Warville, and many others. Most are described in a satirical way, except for a few, including Mirabeau, under a fictitious name. The 'Galerie' was published anonymously and obviously caused turmoil.Although many names have been put forward as possible authors, the most likely candidate is Mirabeau as he is one of the very few who is described favorably. Each volume contains at the end a leaf giving the keys to the fictious names used in the biographical and satirical essays. In the third volume the female characters are being dealt with: Madame Necker, Madame de Stael, Princesse de Beauveau, Comtesse de Sabran, Comtesse Diane de Polignac, comtesse du Barry, etc. etc. This volume with a faint stain in the blank lower margin.