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JEWEL OF SEVENTEENTH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY

MONTAIGNE, Michel de. John Florio, trans. THE ESSAYES OR, MORALL, POLITIKE, AND MILITARIE DISCOURSES OF LORD MICHAEL DE MONTAIGNE, Knight of the noble Order of Saint Michael, and one of the Gentlemen in Ordinary of the French Kings Chamber. The Third Edition. Whereunto is now newly added an Index of the principall matters and personages mentioned in this Book. London: Printed for M. Flesher, for Rich : Royston, in Ivie-lane next the exchequer office, 1632. Third edition of the first English-language translation by John Florio (the first edition being 1603). Folio (in 6s). 29 cm. [14],631,[13] pp. There are some errors in pagination, including the last page, which is numbered 131. Engraved architectural title-page by Martin Droeshout, which faces the explanation leaf "To the Beholder of This Title, has been trimmed close to the plate, inlaid in a leaf, and bound in. Separate title-pages for the second and third books, dated 1631. Clean text but for Q4&5, which have shallow soiling at bottom edges. In addition, Q5 and three other leaves have small chips in margins which do not affect text. Contemporary blind-ruled calf boards were skillfully rebacked, with the original elaborately gilt-tooled backstrip laid-down, but the upper joint is now cracked and the lower joint is starting. Nonetheless, the binding is sound and not unattractive. Armorial bookplate of Hugh Cecil Lowther, fifth Earl of Lonsdale, on front pastedown. Montaigne's Essayes is one of the great books of world literature and a seminal work in the development of modern thought. His essays were the epitome of sixteenth century skeptical philosophy and gave direction to European philosophy in the next century, from Descartes to Newton. Florio's translation was familiar to all the leading literary figures of the seventeenth century, such as Jonson, Burton, and Browne, not to mention Sir Francis Bacon, who developed the English version of Montaigne's new essay format. (STC 18043. See PMM 95). $4500.00 #79237