Histoire et commerce des colonies angloises, dans l'Amérique septentrionale, Où l'on trouve l'état actuel de leur population, & des détails curieux sur la constitution de leur gouvernement, principalement sur celui de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, de la Pensilvanie, de la Caroline & de la Géorgie.

A Londres, et se vend à Paris, Chez Le Breton, Desaint, Pissot, Lambert, 1755. xxiv, 336 pp. 12mo. Modern marbled boards, red leather label with gilt lettering. Kress 5421; Higgs 1030; INED 884; Goldsmiths 9028 (without the preliminaries); not in Einaudi; Conlon 55:545; Sabin 9602; JFBL B635; Howes B.1049; Leclerc 241; Echeverria, pp. 15n and 19; not in Muller. First edition, second issue ('Italic type' as identified by Echeverria & Wilkie) and without the errata on page xxiv and with the errata corrected. Butel-Dumont argues that Great-Britain owes her power and wealth to the colonies. He analyses the commerce and trade as well as the population of the British colonies at the time of the Guerre du Canada. With the outbreak of the Seven Years War, many of whose battles were to be fought in the New World, considerable curiosity about the British colonies was excited. This was one of the books profiting from this curiosity. It emphasized the phenomenal growth and prosperity of the colonies. 'This is the first extensive French text on the British North American colonies and was occasioned by the heightened tensions preceding the Seven Years War. It gives accounts of the geography, history, religion, government, economics, trade, and products of the several colonies' (Echeverria & Wilkie). According to INED this work was also attributed to Véron de Forbonnais. - Tiny hole in half-title and title, modern ex-libris on the front paste-down.