History of New-York
First French edition of the first history of New York in contemporary binding.
12mo of (2) ll., pp. VII-XVI, 415.
Contemporary calf, decorated ribbed spine, gilt edges.
163 x 96 mm.
The first history of the province and city of New York.
From the libraries of Jean-Baptiste Eyriès and Édouard Laboulaye.
First edition of the French translation due to Marc-Antoine Eidous. The first edition was published in London in 1757.
Howes, S-703 ; Sabin 84573. ; Chadenat, n°1485.
The book recounts the disputes and wars waged by the colony against the Canadians and Indians. It also includes a geographical description of the country and a brief history of its inhabitants, their religion, their civil and ecclesiastical government, etc.
A Loyalist during the War of Independence, New York lawyer William Smith (1728-1793) was Chief Justice of New York before holding the same position in Quebec City.
This copy was part of the library of Jean-Baptiste Eyriès (1767-1846), a merchant and geographer. Appointed general administrator of the Senegal Company in 1786, he was one of the founders of the Geographical Society in 1821.
It then passed into the hands of Édouard Lefebvre de Laboulaye, known as Édouard Laboulaye (1811-1883), a lawyer, politician, and writer. A member of parliament, senator for life, and professor of comparative law at the Collège de France, Laboulaye was a fervent admirer of American politics and the US Constitution. Through his lectures and numerous writings, he actively participated in the dissemination and promotion of these institutions. In January 1865, he presided over a public assembly in Paris in support of freed slaves in America and, in 1875, launched a subscription for the erection of the Statue of Liberty for the 100th anniversary of Independence Day.
Provenance : Jean-Baptiste-Benoît Eyriès (label fragment) and Édouard Laboulay (manuscript ex-libris on title page).
