Lemaistre de Sacy - La Gloire - 1745

HOW IS GLORY OBTAINED? A TREATISE TO EDUCATE KINGS, COURTIERS, AND SOCIAL CLIMBERS
Elegant and refined eighteenth-century edition of Traité de la Gloire by Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy, one of the most representative moral texts of the French Enlightenment culture, here accompanied by Du Rondel’s dissertation on the same theme. Published in The Hague in 1745, the volume reflects that typically French tension between classical morality, civil philosophy, and the psychology of passions that runs through the entire eighteenth century. The theme of “glory” is addressed not as mere worldly vanities, but as a political, social, and even metaphysical force capable of guiding human behavior, kingdoms, the arts, and letters. The work presents itself in a sober yet fascinating contemporary binding in full red morocco, with a gold-tooled spine and vivid red edges that give the volume a particularly striking stage presence. A small tract seemingly discreet, but in fact deeply embedded in the European debate on honor, reputation, and the governance of souls.
MARKET VALUE
Eighteenth-century editions of Traité de la Gloire are rarely found on the international market in complete condition and in contemporaneous bindings well preserved. Ordinary copies generally range between 380 and 500 euros, while fresh copies, with fine bindings and wide margins, can reach 500–700 euros at bookstores specializing in eighteenth-century French moral philosophy. The presence of the additional Du Rondel dissertation and the entirely contemporary binding increases the collectible interest of the copy.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary binding in full brown morocco, spine with raised bands ornamented with gold floral tools and a gilt-title panel; boards with marbled leather. Red edges. Typographical title page with an ornamental woodcut vignette, catchwords, and historiated initials. Leaves with physiological browning. In old books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 32nn; 264; 44; 56; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Traité de la Gloire.
The Hague, Chez Henri du Sauzet, 1745.
Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Traité de la Gloire belongs to that great French moral tradition that runs from Pascal and La Rochefoucauld to the encyclopedists and the Enlightenment moralists. Lemaistre de Sacy treats glory as an ambiguous motor of human action: a force capable of producing civic virtue, heroism, and discipline, but also artifice, simulation, and the desire for domination. The text repeatedly references models from antiquity — Rome, Sparta, the philosopher-emperors — used as moral mirrors to interpret modern society. The work also reflects the delicate transition between Christian morality and secular philosophy: glory is progressively reinterpretated not only as a sin of pride, but as a social energy necessary for the construction of the State and for regulating public behaviors. In this sense the treatise dialogues indirectly with Montesquieu and with the entire eighteenth-century reflection on political prestige, honor, and public reputation. Particularly interesting is Du Rondel’s dissertation, which broadens the theme, turning it almost into a psychological analysis of human passions. The elegant, clear, and rational prose makes the work one of the small jewels of eighteenth-century French moral prose.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy (1613-1684), famed French theologian, humanist, and translator linked to the Port-Royal milieu, was one of the most influential figures of French Jansenism. Member of one of the most important intellectual families of the seventeenth century, he dedicated much of his life to translating and commenting on Scripture, along with moral and philosophical reflection. His clear and elegant prose exerted a strong influence on Classical French and on later moral literature.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The 1745 edition was printed in The Hague by Henri du Sauzet, an important bookseller-publisher active in the Netherlands and known for disseminating French philosophical, moral, and sometimes controversial works intended for the refined European market. Dutch printings in eighteenth-century French occupy a central role in the international circulation of Enlightenment ideas thanks to the relatively liberal publishing environment guaranteed by the United Provinces. This small volume sits perfectly within that refined, cosmopolitan publishing circuit that connected Paris, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Geneva.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
BNF, Catalogue général, notice relative au Traité de la Gloire, éd. La Haye, 1745.
WorldCat/OCLC, international census of eighteenth-century editions of Traité de la Gloire.
Catalogue collectif de France (CCFr), bibliographic entries related to the Du Sauzet editions.
Barbier, Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes, III, pp. 873-874.
Quérard, La France Littéraire, VIII, pp. 245-246.
Brunet, Manuel du Libraire, V, col. 45.
ICCU/OPAC SBN, catalog of copies held in Italian libraries.
Studies on French Moralists and Jansenist Literature, passim.
Catalogue de la Librairie Hollandaise du XVIIIe siècle, section Henri du Sauzet.