Le philosophe sans prétention, ou L'homme rare. Ouvrage physique, chymique, politique et moral. Dédié aux savans.

8vo: front.-349-[1] pp. (occ. spotting).

Half light brown leather by Petit "Succr de Simier", marbled paper covers, gilt ruled flat spine with red morocco label, a.e.g. (spine very sl. faded, sl. scratches to lower cover). Very good copy.

First edition of a utopian scientific work by the French chemist and physicist de La Folie (1739-1780). An inhabitant from Mercury arrives on earth on an electrical flying machine. The description anticipates the operation of a dynamo, and disseminates the author's knowledge of the planets, electricity, physics and chemistry, gravity, the phlogiston (fire-like element contained within combustible bodies and released during combustion), earthquakes, alchemy, medicine, etc. Illustrated with a frontispiece depicting the landing of the machine, a historiated headpiece and title vignette.
Ref. Barbier III:874. - Caillet II:5969. - Cohen 546. - Tissandier, Bibliothèque aéronautique, p. 8. - Wellcome III:430. - Wheeler-Gift 451 ("work of pure imagination"). - Not in Dorbon.