LOCKE, John.

Essai philosophique concernant l'entendement humain, ou l'on montre quelle est l'etendue de nos connoissances certaines, et la manière dont nous y parvenons (A Philosophical Essay on Human Understanding or how one shows the extent of our understanding and the ways in which we that reach that point).

Amsterdam: Chez Henri Schelte, 1700. FIRST EDITION IN FRENCH 1 blank leaf + leaf with portrait of Locke on verso + TP + [i]-[iv] = Dedication + [v]-[xii] = Avertissement du Traducteur + [xiii] = Monsieur Locke au Libraire + [xiv]-[xxvi] = Preface de L'Auteur + [xxvii]-[liv] = Table des Matiéres (Contents) + 1-936 + [937]-[957] = Table des Principales Matieres + [958] = Privilegie + 1 blank leaf, Quarto. Yolton 91.First edition in French of John Locke¹s Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (first published in English in 1690). As noted on the title page, this edition has been "Traduit de l¹Anglois de Mr. Locke, par Pierre Coste, sur la quatriéme edition, revûë, corrigée, & augmentée par l¹auteur" (Translated from the English of Mr. Locke by Pierre Coste from the fourth edtion, revued, corrected and added to by the author.) NOTE: The fourth edition (of 1700) was not yet published when this French edition appeared.Engraved frontispiece portrait of Locke by "P. a Gunst" after J. Greenhill. Woodcut printer¹s device on TP. Decorative woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials.Because French rather than English was the universal langauge, Locke's continental readers were dependent initially upon reviews in French-language journals - Basnage de Beauval's Histoire des ouvrages des savans, Bernard's Nouvelles de la république des lettres, and (most especially) Le Clerc's Bibliothèque universelle and its successors. Interested parties such as Limborch and Leibniz did not really come to grips with the Essay until it had been translated into French. This was accomplished in 1700 by Pierre Coste. Coste, like Le Clerc, was a French Protestant refugee in Holland. In 1695, he translated Locke's Some thoughts concerning education into French and sent the author a copy. Locke was pleased, and Le Clerc encouraged the young man to begin translating the Essay. In 1697, Coste was invited to Locke's retreat at Oates, as tutor to the Masham children and as Locke's assistant. The translation was completed under Locke's supervision and was published in June 1700, prefaced by Locke's recommendation. Coste remained at Oates until Locke's death in 1704. Thereafter, in the midst of a busy literary career, he continued his work on the Essay, bringing out a revised edition in 1729. (9½" x 7¼") In this copy, the frontispiece has been bound after p. [iv] rather than opposite the title page. Beautifully bound in eighteenth-century calf. The spine is decoratively tooled in gilt compartments with red morocco gilt lettering label. The board corners of the book are just a bit worn. Both front and back boards each with a single unobtrusive gouge. Wear to joints at head and toe of spine. Spine headcap chipped (1½" wide and up to ½" deep). Some foxing and occasional browning with a few small marks on title page. Aside from a bit of splitting to the joints and the rather minor chip to the top of the spine facing, this an excellent copy of this scarce edition. PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

• USD 2,500.00 > other currencies
• ordernr.: 149

• bookseller: Athena Rare Books (USA)