[Rarebooks] FS: Scandalous (& censored) French novel circa 1761

[Karmbooks at aol.com]

Chevrier, Francois Antoine. LE COLEPORTEUR: HISTOIRE MORALE ET CRITIQUE. A 
Londres (The Hague or Brussels): Jean Nourse. L’an de la Verite (No date, but 
circa 1761-1762). Sm. 8vo. (2),224pp. With the half-title. Title printed in red &
 black, within a decorative border. 19th century calf over marbled boards, 
hinges a bit rubbed. Private library rubber stamp on title.     $450.00 (trade 
discount allowed)
A curious & popular novel by the satirist and scandalous writer Chevrier. 
There are at least 6 different undated editions with different pagination and 
other variations. A bibliography by one M. Gillet (in an uncommon 19th century 
French journal) exists of Chevrier, detailing the points of the “true” first 
edition. Unfortunately we have not been able to find this publication, but 
according to a previous bookseller’s notes, we have the correct first edition which 
should end on page 224, have a 2-color title page with a border, the 
double-rule at the bottom of the title beginning at the end of “z” in “chez,” and 
the “an” in the imprint is lower case. Copies of this work were censored in 
France and confiscated by the police. See Darnton. CORPUS OF CLANDESTINE 
LITERATURE IN FRANCE, 1769-1789, #101. Gay I, 619.

Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller, Inc.
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