1795 – Works of Montesquieu | Spirit of the Laws & Letters – 5v Set

A rare printing of the works of Charles Louis de Montesquieu from 1795. His most famous work was Spirit of the Laws; a work so influential that world leaders such as Catherine the Great and the United States founding fathers applied the methods taught in this book to their culture’s future. This famed work found itself on the infamous ‘Prohibited Book Index’ in 1751 even though it was well-respected and well-read around the world.

Montesquieu lists a few major points in his work; points that have resonated with government for centuries. These include:

• Separation of power
• Liberty and democracy are one in the same
• The point of civil and criminal law is to ensure personal security
• Qualities and flaws of governmental types

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Œuvres de Monsieur de Montesquieu
• Author(s): Charles-Louis de Montesquieu
• Publisher: Paris: Chez Guffier, Langlois
• Edition: An IV, [1795-1796]
• Format: (12mo), five volumes
• Binding: Full marbled leather
• Size:  8.25 in x 5.25
• Collation: each volume separately paged
• Contents Include:
  • De l’Esprit des Lois (The Spirit of the Laws)
  • Various other letters

Condition:

Bound in full marbled leather with gilt spine decoration and marbled fore-edges. The bindings are tight and secure with solid text blocks. Light rubbing is present at the corners, but overall the set remains very good and well preserved.

Why Collect This?

• Contains Montesquieu’s most influential works
• Five volume set from the Enlightenment

Item Number: #50650