Explication d'une pierre gravée du cabinet de monseigneur le comte de Pontchartrain.

12mo: [12]-143-[1] pp.; 1 pl. (sl. dampstains).

Contemp. blond calf, gilt triple fillet border and central coat of arms on boards, gilt crowned cypher on flat spine, red edges (sl. scratches and soiling, min. missing on upper turn-in, bumped corners).

First edition of this rare essay attributed to Baudelot de Dairval (1648-1722), curator at the Cabinet of medals of Madame, admitted to the "Académie royale des inscriptions et belles-lettres" in 1705. Dedicated to Louis II Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain, Secretary of State to King Louis XIV. Ill. with 1 fold. pl. and 2 copperpl. (1 with the dedicatory's coat of arms) in text. An old ms. note on the 1st blank endpaper (mention "Fena [?], 28 déc. 1760" by the same hand) states that Baudelot gave "une explication erronée" and presents an astronomical interpretation.
Ref. Barbier II:375. - Conlon, Prélude, 15209. - Sinkankas 457 ("not seen").
Prov. Gaspard de Fontenu (1664-1754), French consul in Livorno (1704) then in the Levant in Smyrna (1707) and Constantinople (1727) (supralibros; ref. Olivier 384). He belonged to the network of the same Count of Pontchartrain, owner of the monument mentioned in the book. Ref. Mézin, A., Aspart, V., Aristide-Hastir, I. - Fonds Fontenu (XVIe-XIXe siècle). [2nd digital ed.]. Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Archives nationales de France, 2020, pp. 4-5.