*BALZAC (Honoré de). - Lot 103

Lot n° 103
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*BALZAC (Honoré de). - Lot 103
*BALZAC (Honoré de). Physiology of marriage or meditations of eclectic philosophy, on the happiness and the marital unhappiness. Published by a young bachelor. Paris : Levavasseur, Urbain Canel, 1830. - 2 volumes in-8, 202 x 127 : (2 ff.), pp. (vij)-xxxv, (2 ff.), 328 pp. misquoted 332 ; 352 pp. Half dark green calf with corners, spine decorated with gilt and cold patterns, spotted edges (contemporary binding). Vicaire, I, 181-182. First edition of this famous work by Honoré de Balzac . The author presents, in a deliberately provocative style, his thoughts on the condition of women and on marriage. In a letter he addressed to the Marquise de Castrie, he gave these details: "Physiology, Madam, was a book undertaken with the aim of defending women. Thus the meaning of my book is the exclusive attribution of all the faults, committed by women, to their husbands. It is a great absolution - then I claim the natural and imprescriptible rights of the woman. There is no happy marriage possible if a perfect knowledge of the two spouses as to morals, character, etc., does not precede their union, and I have not shied away from any of the consequences of this principle. Those who know me know that I have always been faithful, since the age of reason, to this idea, and for me, the girl who makes a mistake is much more sacred than the one who remains ignorant and full of misfortune for the future, by the very fact of her ignorance. So I only want to marry a widow." This edition has the particularity to possess a chapter largely illegible, in this case chapter I of the 15th meditation, dealing with " Religions and confession considered in their relation with marriage " (pages 207 to 210 of the volume). (pages 207 to 210 of volume 2), made of letters upright and upside down, blocks, dashes, brackets, etc. Beautiful copy in contemporary binding, coming from the prestigious library of Henri Beraldi. It was bound without the third leaf of the first volume, containing the warning to the Readers starting in these terms: "The woman who, on the title of this book, would be tempted to open it, can dispense with it... " Rubbing to the headpieces, hinges and spines, small lacks to the upper jaws of the second volume . Minor foxing. Provenance: signature dated 1852 on the first white endpaper of the first volume. - Henri Beraldi, with ex-libris (III, 1934, n° 9, with reproduction of the spine plate p. 54). - Bourlon de Rouvre, with ex-libris.
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