ARGENS, J. B. de Boyer, Marquis d' - Lettres Juives... Lot 321

ARGENS, J. B. de Boyer, Marquis d'] - Lettres Juives ou Correspondance philosophique, historique et critique, entre un Juif Voyageur en différents états de l'Europe, & ses correspondants en divers endroits. Nouv. éd. augm. de nouvelles lettres et de quantité de remarques. La Haye, Pierre Paupie, 1742. 6 vols. in-12, portrait, frontispiece, vignettes on titles, spotted fawn bas. ép., spine ribbed ornamented, qqs. cap arasées and qqs. pet traces of rodent. First published as a periodical from December 1735 to September 1737. On the frontispiece, Aaron Monceca and Jacob Brito present their Lettres juives à Don Quichotte, Sancho Pança and Maître Nicolas, le barbier. Inspired by the Persian Letters, the Jewish Letters feature three Jews, Aaron Monceca, "a philosopher raised among the French and English who live in Constantinople, with whom he had frequent conversations before arriving in France"; Isaac Onis, Rabbi of Constantinople, "who had spent many years in Vienna, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Berlin and all the Northern Courts"; and Jacob Brito, also a philosopher, who was raised in Vienna.