THE MEASURE OF MAN & EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL VISITORS
BOUDIER DE VILLEMERT, Pierre-Joseph.
L’Andrometrie, ou examen philosophique de l’homme. Par Monsieur l’Abbé de Villemaire.
Paris, chez Brunet, 1753.
[bound with:]
—. Le Monde joué, ou memoires pour servir a l’histoire du genre humain. ‘A Berlin’ [Paris, Bernard Brunet], 1753.
Two works in one vol., 12mo, pp. vi, 162; [2], vi, 108; woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces; a few small chips to fore-edge of first title, occasional very light marginal damp staining, some loss to fore-edge of last leaf of second work (not touching text); overall very good in contemporary calf, triple fillet border to covers, flat spine gilt in compartments with lettering-piece, red edges, marbled endpapers; upper joint split but holding firm, some wear to extremities and marks to boards; arms of the marquis d’Attilly stamped in gilt to covers and remains of bookplate to front pastedown.
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L’Andrometrie, ou examen philosophique de l’homme. Par Monsieur l’Abbé de Villemaire.
First editions of two scarce works by the philosopher, moralist and Parisian avocat Boudier de Villemert (1716–1801), best known as the author of L’Ami des Femmes.
Of Rousseauian inspiration, L’Andrometrie provides a most interesting ‘philosophical examination of mankind’. Boudier de Villemert’s portrait is far from pretty: man is driven by self interest and worthless passion, is blind to his faults, arrogant, vain and lazy, is more prone to dreaming than reasoning, is forever seeking happiness in the wrong places (in riches, greatness or pleasure), and his enormous published output only proves his mediocrity and ignorance. ‘Science, talent, riches, honours – grand words which signify little’, the author writes, ‘and by little I mean everything that by its nature makes man neither better nor happier’ (pp. 57–58, trans). There is an interesting chapter on arts and manufactures, considering products which are useful and those that merely please, criticising man’s taste for luxury, and another on the rationalism-versus-empiricism debate, the author advocating a union of reason and the senses as the best means to acquiring knowledge. A footnote on bibliomania (p. 59) points to its existence long before the invention of printing. A second edition of L’Andrometrie appeared in 1757, which is also scarce.
The second work, Le Monde joué, is a satire on human society and fashions. In the first part an extra-terrestrial called Zouzou visits Earth in ancient times and witnesses the development of trade, the arts, and literature, becoming bored, however, when mankind begins philosophising. In the second part he revisits our planet in the eighteenth century accompanied by Zinzin, the pair amusing themselves in subjugating men to women and making men adopt female dress and fashion.
Provenance: with the arms of Claude-Louis de Bullion, marquis d’Attilly (1692–1755) (OHR 641).
I. No copies traced in the UK or US. II. OCLC shows one copy in North America (University of Pennsylvania) and two in the UK (Cambridge University Library and Taylor Institution).
