Oeuvres… De l’esprit des loix – Montesquieu – 1769 | 4 Vol Set, Banned Book

Charles-Louis de Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws is one of the most famous treaties ever written, especially on political theory. This work was 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: Oeuvres… De l’esprit des loix
• Author(s): Charles-Louis de Montesquieu
• Publisher: A Londres: Chez Nourse
• Edition: 1769 edition
• Format: (12mo), four volume set
• Binding: full leather
• Size:  6.75in x 4in (17cm x 10cm)
• Collation:
  • Vol. I – xliv, 24, 430 pp;
  • Vol. II – xvi, 362 pp;
    • 2 folding maps
  • Vol. III – xvi, 440 pp;
  • Vol. IV – viii, 574 pp
• Illustrations: two large folding maps
• Contents Include:
  • De l’esprit des loix in full
  • Legal and political analysis
  • Civil and criminal law concepts
  • Power structure classification
• Provenance: bookplate: Ex libris H. Simon

Condition:

Good. Leather bindings solid, moderate rubbing to boards and corners, marbled edges preserved. Internal pages complete with some light foxing. Two folding maps present and intact. Tight text blocks, no restorations or losses.

Why Collect This?

• Included on the 1751 Index of Prohibited Books
• Includes both folding maps

Item Number: #29037