ROLAND DE LA PLATIÈRE (Jean-Marie). Lettres écrites de Suiss - Lot 195

ROLAND DE LA PLATIÈRE (Jean-Marie). Lettres écrites de Suisse, d'Italie, de Sicile et de Malthe (sic = Malta) par M***, avocat en parlement, de plusieurs académies de France des arcades de Rome, ... à Melle **, à Paris, en 1776, 1777 et 1778... A Amsterdam, s.n., 1780. 6 vol. in-12, VI p., [1] f., 454 p., [1] f. + [2] f., 509 p., [1] f. + [2] f., 536 p., [2] f. + [2] f., 418 p., [1] f. + 550 p. (erreur p°) + 515 p., contemporary marbled havana calf, 5-ribbed spine, red title page, green endpaper, gilt fleurons and fillets, owner's name Marc-Antoine Petit stamped in gilt within a laurel wreath at center of upper boards, fillet framed in cold on the boards, red edges (restored spines; a few old lines in brown ink underlining paragraphs, a few light russets, restoration of a tear p. 1-2 t. 1). First edition. 44 long letters written in the years 1776-78 by Roland (erudite Swedish traveler and famous Jacobin, 1734-1793) to Madame Jeanne-Marie Philipon, who would become Manon Roland, his wife; they deal with literature, art, history, but also the character of Italians and their habits and customs. ".that these descriptions lack accuracy, but the description with profound depth all that concerns antiquities, and with appreciation of the discernment and enjoyment of the various parts of the fine arts; but here we distinguish especially the relations, there are researches in these books on the various branches of commerce and industry possessed by those of the region. It is on the active and passive commerce of Sicily, that R. provides the most extensive and curious information." (D'Ancône). The fourth volume is devoted almost entirely to Naples and its environs, and includes an extract from Angelo Goudard's famous ''very piquant'' book ''Naples'': ''This extract is all the more precious as the original work, condemned to fire, has become extremely rare''. Engraved ex-libris labels repeated: Marco Antonio Petit Amicis (= Dr. Marc-Antoine Petit (1766-1811), Surgeon-Major of the Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon, member of the City Council, and of the Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Lyon); R.N. (Barbier II, 1267; D'Ancona, 684; Fera-Morlicchio II, 1198; missing from Fossati-Bellani).