VOLNEY. *Les Ruines*, or A Meditation on Revolutions and Emp - Lot 317

VOLNEY. *Les Ruines*, or A Meditation on Revolutions and Empires. Paris: Desenne, Volland, and Plassant, January 1792. In-8, burgundy half-maroquin, smooth spine decorated with garlands, gilt fillets, and fleurons. XVI and 392 pages, frontispiece, and two engraved fold-out plates. Binding slightly scuffed, mainly on the covers; rare small foxing spots. Indicated as the second edition. Beautiful frontispiece depicting an Eastern seaport city and two fold-out maps (a terrestrial planisphere and an astrological chart of the sky). A seminal work of deist thought, situated at the intersection of the Enlightenment and Romanticism, this philosophical and mystical essay enjoyed great success in France, England, and the United States. Thomas Jefferson even translated it. A fresh copy in a pleasant binding.