LES CARACTČRES OU LES MOEURS DEL CE SIECLE Par La Bruyčre Suivis Du Discours a L’Acadčmie et de LA TRADUCTION DE THEOPHRASTE

Paris: Belin-Leprieur Libraire-Editeur, 1845. An Early Issuance. Illustrated throughout with finely engraved full-page plates and with engravings in the text including elaborate head- and tail-pieces. Grand 8vo, bound in handsome and contemporary black morocco over French marbled boards, the corners and turnovers gilt-ruled, the spine with raised bands separating the compartments. Panel designs in blind in the compartments and one compartment lettered in gilt. xxvi, 488 pp. including the index. A very handsome, very pleasing copy in proper contemporary binding, the text solid and quite clean with much less then the typical foxing to which the book is prone, this primarily confined to the plates but only rarely dark enough to affect the images,the binding in lovely condition with just a bit of mellowing at the extremities. SCARCE EARLY ISSUANCE OF THIS HANDSOMELY ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Bruyčre’s “Caractčres” appeared originally in 1688, and at once, as Nicolas de Malézieu had predicted, brought him "bien des lecteurs et bien des ennemis" (many readers and many enemies). At the head of these were Thomas Corneille, Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle and Isaac de Benserade, who were clearly aimed at in the book, as well as innumerable other persons, men and women of letters as well as of society, identifiable by manuscript "keys" compiled by the scribblers of the day. The friendship of Bossuet and protection of the Condés sufficiently defended the author, and he continued to insert fresh portraits of his contemporaries in each new edition of his book, especially in the 4th.
His unpopularity was, however, chiefly confined to the subjects of his sarcastic portraiture, and to the hack writers of the time, of whom he was wont to speak with a disdain only surpassed by that of Alexander Pope. His description of the Mercure Galant as "immédiatement au dessous de rien" (immediately below nothing) is the best-remembered specimen of these unwise attacks; and would of itself account for the enmity of the editors.