[Rarebooks] FS: First Edition in English of Pascal's classic Les Pensees, 1688

[Charles Agvent]

PASCAL, Blaise. MONSIEUR PASCALL'S THOUGHTS, MEDITATIONS, AND PRAYERS, 
TOUCHING MATTERS MORAL AND DIVINE, AS THEY WERE FOUND IN HIS PAPERS... 
London: Jacob Tonson, 1688. First Edition. The First Edition in English 
of Pascal's classic Les Pensees (1665). Octavo bound in early calf 
leather neatly rebacked. Lacking the front and rear blanks and the rear 
endpaper, with the bifolium *S bound between S6 (the Advertisement leaf) 
and S7: [42], 1 - 263, [9], 269 - 375, [1] pages. The French 
mathematician and theologian, who invented the first digital calculator, 
wrestled with the inability of reason to understand God. His work with 
Fermat on the nature of probability presaged the development of modern 
decision theory, on the basis of which he argued that belief in God, 
although not rational, is a good bet: "Le coeur a ses raisons que le 
raison ne connait point" (The heart has its reasons that reason does not 
know at all.). Pascal died painfully at the age of 39 from what was 
likely cancer. Owner name of E. J. Hodgson in ink on the top of the 
title page and on the front endpaper with his armorial bookplate on the 
pastedown. Near Fine.

The owner was likely Edward Jarvis Hodgson of Prince Edward Island who 
was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1879 and who worked for the Prince 
Edward Island railway and other federal government departments between 
1882 and approximately 1889. From 1891 until 1910, he was Master of the 
Rolls and an Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court of Judicature of 
Prince Edward Island, and from 1896 until his death in 1911, Chancellor 
of King's College University. (#019518)        $5,000

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/019518/blaise-pascal/monsieur-pascalls-thoughts-meditations-and-prayers-touching-matters-moral-and-divine-as-they

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