The englishman’s fortnight in Paris; or, the art of ruining himself there in a few days. By an observer. Translated from the French
London: printed for T. Durham, at Charing-Cross; and G. Kearsly, at No. 46, in Fleet-Street, 1777. First Edition. Quarter-bound Leather. First Edition, in English, of this novelized first-person account of a young English lord's debauched sojourn—prostitutes, gambling, horse-racing, drink—in the French capitol. Crown 8vo (206 x 121mm): [2],x,222pp. Contemporary leather spine in six compartments between raised bands, recent red morocco lettering piece gilt, marbled sides and end papers. Joints skillfully reinforced, marbled sides heavily rubbed, top of title page (including word 'The') supplied in excellent facsimile. Internally, a Fine, bright copy, pages fresh and free of foxing, browning and stains. ESTC Citation No. N31079 (distinct from ESTC T131522, which Durham and Kearsly brought out the same year in duodecimo and which does not have the following note below the date on the title page present in our copy: "This work may be had of the above booksellers in French, printed from the Paris edition, which was suppressed in that country."). Near Fine. Item #BB0796
Translated by the author from his La quinzaine angloise à Paris, first published the previous year. Rutledge was the grandson of an Irish Jacobite who settled in France and son of Walter Rutledge, a banker and ship owner at Dunkirk, who assisted the Pretender in his expedition of 1715, and in consequence was named a baronet. "This sketch, which depicts the rapidity with which a ‘plunger’ may be reduced to destitution by the harpies of Paris and purports to be a posthumous work by Sterne, to whose works it bears no sort of resemblance . . . The writer states that attempts had been made to suppress the work in Paris. A species of sequel, entitled ‘Le Second Voyage de milord ——,’ appeared in 1779." (DNB) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).
Price: $649.00