CAILLOT DUVAL (pseudonym). Philosophical correspondence. - Lot 138

CAILLOT DUVAL (pseudonym). Philosophical correspondence. First edition of these epistolary "hoaxes" by two officers of the King in need of entertainment. Nancy, chez les marchands de nouveautés, 1795. In-12, midnight blue half-basane, spine ribbed with gilt fillets, blue marbled boards. XII, 236 pp. Covers rubbed, spine bent, one split at head. Some foxing, annotations on endpapers. First edition of this amusing correspondence by Caillot Duval, the collective pseudonym of Pierre-Marie-Louis de Boisgelin de Kerdu and Alphonse-Toussaint-Joseph-André-Marie-Marseille de Fortia de Piles. These two lieutenants, garrisoned in Nancy at the time, alleviated their boredom by sending fake letters signed "Caillot-Duval" to various people, inventing ridiculous hoaxes that were often taken seriously. The first, addressed to a Picard magistrate publishing mediocre writings in a review, showered him with glowing praise: the flattered author replied, and Caillot-Duval decided to continue the joke. They make an opera dancer believe that a wealthy Russian prince wishes to make her his mistress, inform people of far-fetched rumors about them, and place ridiculous orders with Parisian fashion merchants. The result is an amusing compilation of letters and replies, some of which are riddled with spelling mistakes, others completely off the mark. From the library of Eugène Huet de Froberville (1815-1904), linguist and ethnographer. A good copy of this little-known but highly comic work.