GARGAS (Pierre-André). - Lot 55

GARGAS (Pierre-André). Alphabet Qonsiliateur de l'Ortografe. Aveq la prononsiasion Franseze, por doner dez preinsipez invariablez e trez fasilez a toz seuz qi vodron apprendre dan peu de tan la Gramere Franseze. Marseille, De l'Imprimerie de Jean Mossy, 1773. Booklet in-12, 28 pages, half-brown calf, smooth spine decorated with double gilded fillets, full title (modern binding). Extremely rare first edition of the first book by Pierre-André Gargas (1728-1801), friend of Benjamin Franklin, who laid the foundations of the United Nations. Written and published during the author's imprisonment in the galleys of Toulon, the work offers a rather fanciful reform of spelling, not unlike the typographical art imagined by Restif de La Bretonne. As in his book Union souveraine et conciliatrice (1785), a circular letter at the end implies that the work was to be distributed personally by the author to various Prelaz, Governeur, Intendan, Proqureur Jeneroz, Prezidan [....]; here, the Letre sirqulere is addressed to His Majesty the Roa de Jardanie (note added in ink) and signed by the author: Sire, De Vostre Majesté J'ei l'oneur detre, avq un profon respet, votre trez unble e trez somiz serviteur Gargaz. An added leaf at the head of the volume bears, in the same hand, this dispatch: Gramere framasone adresée a Sa Majesté le Roa de Jardanie, De Tolon a Turin.