37 of the 42 volume set was donated to the Boquete Handicap Foundation. Copyright dated 1901. THE LOUIS XIV COLLECTOR'S EDITION. Set #3/1000. Bound in leather bindings. Gilded spines. The top edges are gilded. Marbled end papers. Printed on thick quality paper. Wide margins. Illustrated with full page plates. 8.75 inches tall. 60 inches of shelf space. In excellent condition. The leather is still supple. There is general shelf wear and usage rubs, but these are all intact. Internally VERY GOOD, printed on quality rag paper that is very fresh bright and clean, near free of any foxing but for the first few pages. No previous signs of ownership. This is an impressive collection, and these display beautifully. Voltaire was one of several Enlightenment figures (along with Montesquieu, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Emilie du Chatelet) whose works and ideas influenced important thinkers of both the American and French Revolutions. He was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression, free trade and separation of church and state. Voltaire was a prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poetry, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform, despite strict censorship laws with harsh penalties for those who broke them. French writer, satirist, the embodiment of the 18th-century Enlightenment. Voltaire is remembered as a crusader against tyranny and bigotry. Compared to Rousseau's (1712-1778) rebelliousness and idealism, Voltaire's world view was more skeptical, but both of their ideas influenced deeply the French Revolution. Voltaire disliked Rousseau and wrote to him in 1761: "One feels like crawling on all fours after reading your work." "Liberty of thought is the life of the soul." (from Essay on Epic Poetry, 1727) Voltaire died in Paris on May 30, 1778, as the undisputed leader of the Age of Enlightenment. He had suffered throughout his life from poor health, but at the time of his death he was eighty-four. Voltaire left behind him over fourteen thousand known letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets. This set would make an excellent gift and/or addition to any fine library. In addition to their shelf presence, antiquarian books make an excellent investment.
The complete 42 volume set is available at www.biblio.com for $1250. The Handicap Foundation is selling this collection for $200. Email Penny at pjbarrett@aol.com or text WhatsAp 6510-8934.
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