Autograph letter signed from Antoine-Augustin Renouard to an unidentified recipient concerning his edition of Voltaire’s work in 60 volumes, written from Paris and dated 9 August 1821
Traces Ecrites, REF: 14472, ‘Lettre de Renouard toute consacrée à son édition des oeuvres de Voltaire en 60 volumes’
Title:
Autograph letter signed from Antoine-Augustin Renouard to an unidentified recipient concerning his edition of Voltaire’s work in 60 volumes, written from Paris and dated 9 August 1821
Monseigneur Depuis quatre années entières je travaille a élever un mouvement littéraire et typographique au grand homme qui malgré quelques erreurs méritera toujours les respects et la reconnaissance des amis des lettres, et des vrais philanthropes
Incipit Modernised:
Monseigneur Depuis quatre années entières je travaille a élever un mouvement littéraire et typographique au grand homme qui malgré quelques erreurs méritera toujours les respects et la reconnaissance des amis des lettres, et des vrais philanthropes
Autograph letter signed from Antoine-Augustin Renouard to an unidentified recipient concerning his edition of Voltaire’s work in 60 volumes, written from Paris and dated 9 August 1821.
Detailed Summary:
Renouard writes that he has spent four years working to raise a literary and typographical movement to the great man [Voltaire] who, despite some mistakes, will always deserve the respect and recognition of men of letters and true philanthropists. He adds that he will publish 60 octavo volumes of Voltaire’s works that include 180 engravings and portraits, noting that this edition cannot be compared to any previous attempts. He speaks highly of the quality of paper used for the edition, adding that though he was not the manufacturer of it it was created according to his instructions. Renouard also praises the typographic elegance of the work, which he credits to the talents of Georges-Adrien Crapelet. He notes that what makes this edition new is the multitude of corrections made in the text to dates, proper names, and citations, attributing some errors of previous editions to Voltaire’s copyists or secretaries. Renouard cites a series of such errors, referencing a letter from Louis XIV of France, a letter from Henry IV of France, and the correspondence of Frederick II of Prussia. He concludes by asking the recipient to subscribe to a number of copies of his new edition.
The MS was folded into four (since unfolded). There is a slight stain in the left-hand margin of f.1r and some very minor foxing throughout. There is a small ink splatter in the lower left-hand corner of f.2r.