Description

Three large leather volumes of the Yverdon Encyclopedia by Fortunado de Felice, all published in 1773 and with the same antique bookplate (all three from one owner). Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire Universel Raisonné des Connoissances Humaines (Encyclopedia or Dictionary of Universal Human Knowledge), Volumes XXIII HEI … JAM, XXVI LEI … LYT, and XXVIII MAU … MIR. Written in French. Brown leather bindings with gilt details. Colorful marbled endpapers. Red painted ends to the text block. Printed with no plates or illustrations. Published by de Felice in Yverdon in Switzerland in 1773. The less anti-religious encyclopedia of the time, said to have been favored in Northern Europe and by Protestants. According to the bookplates, once owned by D’Henault (the younger), a lawyer of the civil court in Cambrai, France, in the early 19th century: “De la bibliothèque de D’Henault, fils, Avoué au Tribunal civil de Cambrai.” There is a record from 1811 of a D’Henault as an officer in the Civil Court in Cambrai. These books cover diverse subjects, including science, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, religion, mythology, and geography. Here are some interesting examples of topics covered (I’ve translated them into English): Vol. 23 - Defines Helioscope, Helen, Herbs, Hercules, Heretic, Hermes, Hermeneutics, Hermit, Hierarchy (over 13 pages), Hippocrates, Holland, The Holy Island of Lindisfarne (under “Holy-Island” in English), Holocaust (an interesting definition), Homer, MAN and HUMAN, Jacobites, etc. Vol. 26 - Defines Martin Luther (over 12 pages) , Leviathan, Lemonade, Literature, Law, Logic, and Lycanthrope (as in Werewolf - as a subject of divinity rather than mythology or lore), etc. Vol. 28 - Defines Mecca, Medina, Medal (over 40 pages on this), Doctor (28 pages), Memory, Melancholy, Measurements (15 pages and charts), Metallurgy, Minerals, Mines, Metaphysics, Method (over 34 pages), Mexico (13 pages - longest geographical entry), Michelangelo, Microscope, etc. A contemporary list of Errata is bound in each volume. Volume 28 has a prominently displayed watermark on the last page, which is adhered to the marbled endpaper in the back: a fleur de lis over a large bell. Each book measures approximately 10-1/4 x 8 x 2 inches. In good to fair condition. The leather bindings are very worn and brittle. Vol. 26 has large stains on the boards and some disintegration on the back middle, next to the spine (the pages inside are not affected). The boards are still attached but most are cracked through and one board is loose on the top. The titles on the spines are not viewable, and the leather is quite worn there. Vol. 26 has a flap of leather on the bottom third of the spine. The endpapers are bright. As mentioned, there are no illustrations—besides the title pages and a few book ornaments. The book was published without illustrations. The “D’Henault, fils” bookplate is in all three books, on the top left of the front endpapers. Pages are in good shape and have a few isolated stains, foxing or darkening on individual pages, 1-inch or less rips (on less than a dozen pages), and dog-ear creases (which I notice are mostly on religious and legal topics). No notes or marginalia. Bindings are tight; pages are all securely in place. See images for details. Let me know if you would like to see more pictures of these books or have any questions before purchase. Thank you for your interest. N-R1-Sb