Les six livres de la République

Folio [319 x 203 mm] of (6) ll., (16) ll., 779 misnumbered, 773 pp. (complete), (1)

Full light-brown calf, double gilt fillets on the covers, decorated ribbed spine, lettering piece in red morocco, sprinkled edges. 17th century Parisian binding.

Bodin, Jean (1529-1596). Les six livres de la République de J. Bodin Angevin. A Monseigneur du Favr, Seigneur de Pibrac, Conseiller du Roy en son Conseil privé, & Président en la Cour de Parlement à Paris. Reveuë, corrigée et augmentée de nouveau. Troisième édition.
Paris, lacques du Puys, 1578. Avec Privilège du Roy.

Third edition of this “monument of 16th century political science”, the best according to Niceron, J. Bodin’s bibliographer.

Tchemerzine I, 707 ; Adams, B2236 ; En français dans le texte, n° 68 ; Crahy, Isaac et Lenger, bibliographie critique des éditions anciennes de Jean Bodin, n° F3a ; Stanford University, Scholars, Texts, Tradition, 1984, n° 64 : “A foundation piece in modern political theory.”

“According to Nicéron, this edition is better than the one published in 1576 because it contains corrections brought about by Cujas’ violent attacks, whom Bodin had himself attacked in the preface of Methodus ad facilem” (Tchemerzine).

Bodin’s two great works, “Methodus ad facilem historiarum cognitionem” (1566) and “La République” (1576), make up the two panels of one common design.

Bodin tries to consider the variations of human societies as a whole, through space and time, and he greatly succeeds, organizing his tremendous knowledge in a very intelligible way.

At the center of La République, he places the notion of “sovereignty” of each state with, as a corollary, the necessity to define and maintain an order within it, without any reference to the pope or the pretentions of the Empire. The subject cannot legitimately resist the prince but the “sovereign prince is held to the contracts he makes” (I, 8) and must always rise above the parties and their quarrels (IV, 7) in order to govern with moderation and calm, like a father in his house (he draws a parallel between the family and the state). The prince defends religion, the principal foundation of laws and order, but does not impose it by force. Using force is dangerous, one must be able to abstain from it in calculating one’s interests (III, 7). A theorist of absolute power but a defender of tolerance, eager for peace, Bodin passionately wanted to know and understand in order to enlighten, unite and reconcile.

His political views dominated the century, as did the greatness of his project and the solidity of his thought process. In France, no one will rise to his level until Montesquieu. His contemporaries were right in defending La République, as soon as it was published, in all of Europe, thus allowing it to become a success.

The first edition of 1576 in contemporary binding is very rare and estimated at around 50 000 €.
This one, “better than the first” according to Niceron, is valued at half by Morgand (See Tchémerzine).

Precious copy, preserved in its 17th century Parisian binding, with minimal restorations.