DE LA VERTU des Payens. MOTHE LE VAYER, 1642. First edition

  
MOTHE LE VAYER (François de la). DE LA VERTU des Payens. To Paris: Chez François Targa, 1642. Book in good / very good condition with small defects and stains typical of age.

Ã4, A-Z, Aa-Yy4, Zz2; [8], 374 pp. Restored binding, with a completely new spine, maintaining the original folders; gold titles on spine. The photographs are part of the description.

A frequenter of Marie de Gournay's salon, Mothe le Vayer was one of the pillars of erudite libertinism in the 17th century alongside names such as Gabriel Naudé, Pierre Gassendi and Élie Diodati. In 1639 he was admitted to the French Academy and Richelieu appointed him tutor to the eldest son of Louis XIII and, later, by Anne of Austria he was in charge of the education of Philip, Duke of Orleans.

This work of his, dedicated to Cardinal Richelieu, consists of two parts, the first dealing with the organization of the state, the second dealing with classical authors in detail, such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Diogenes, Pythagoras, Confucius, Seneca, between others. Will be sent well packaged by express courier.