(1644). DESCARTES (René). L'HOMME. ET UN TRAITTE DE LA FORMA - Lot 16

(1644). DESCARTES (René). L'HOMME. ET UN TRAITTE DE LA FORMATION DU FOETUS. Avec les Remarques de Louys de La Forge. Paris, Jacques Legras, 1664. In-4°, [70]-448-[8] pages, brown granite calf, spine ribbed and decorated, speckled edges (contemporary binding). A rare FIRST EDITION of the French translation by Claude Clerselier (1614-1684), a lawyer at the Parliament of Paris. Dedicated to Colbert, this edition contains an important preface, the text of L'Homme, that of Traité de la formation du fœtus, remarks by Louis de La Forge and Florent Schuyl's French translation of the preface to the original 1662 Latin edition. It is illustrated with 56 woodcut FIGURES in the text, invented by Descartes... Worn binding, scattered light rings, marginal galling to first 10 leaves (Tchemerzine II, 799).