Abraham Ruchat - Etat et délices de la Suisse - 1776

Ruchat, Abraham, State and Delights of Switzerland, or, Historical and Geographical Description of the XIII Swiss Cantons and Their Allies. New edition. In Basel: at Emanuel Tourneisen, 1776. 4 volumes. 12mo. 16.7 x 10.1 cm. I/2 pages, unnumbered, title, table, XXIV, 2, 432, 6, 444, 6, 350, 6, 422 pages, notes for the binder.

New Basel edition in 4 volumes, 12°, based on the Amsterdam edition of 1730, with the folded map of Switzerland and 27 (out of 36) plates outside the text. Uniform period bindings in marbled calf leather. Spine with five nerves, with leather labels for the title and number, decorated on the spine. Bindings showing slight signs of wear, interior very clean. 'The State and Delights of Switzerland' is a compilation of Ruchat's 'Delights of Switzerland' and Abraham Stanyan's 'The State of Switzerland' (Amsterdam, 1714), the English ambassador to Switzerland (1705-1713). An early version of Ruchat's 'Delights of Switzerland' was published in 1714 in Leyden under the pseudonym Gottlieb Kypseler de Munster. The first illustrated edition dates from 1730 (Perret, II: no. 3814). Barbier II, 298. Lonchamp 2560. Wäber I, 30. Brunet VI: 1459.

With the error in the title of volume 1 'Description helvétique' at the historical location. Note: the following plates are missing (nota bene, the 'Chute du Rhin' has clearly been torn out, but it seems that the other engravings have not been bound in, as the book blocks are very solid and no page remnants are visible): Volume 2: 'Chute du Rhin' 27, 'Château de Habsbourg' 171, 'Bains de Schinzenach' 174, 'Ville de Lucerne' 337, 'Tüfelsbroug' 378, 'Einsiedeln' 397. Volume 3: 'Hermigate' 47, 'Médailles' 115, 'Bains de Pfeffers' 161.

Although it is missing a few engravings, it is a very beautiful specimen in its period bindings, clean and without stains.

Weight: 1300 g