[bound with:] LA CHESNAYE DES BOIS, François Alexandre Aubert de (1699–1784). Lettre a Madame la Comtesse D*** pour servir de supplément à l’amusement philosophique sur le langage des bêtes.
Paris: Chez Gissey; Bordelet; Ganeau, 1739.

Collation: 12mo: p ² A–M^8,4, N⁸, 82 leaves, pp. [iv] 157 [3]; A–D^8,4, 24 leaves, pp. 46 [2] (last leaf blank).
Condition: 154 x 90mm.
Binding: Contemporary sheep, gilt spine with raised bands, red morocco lettering piece.
References: Wellcome II, 211 (without supplement); Sommervogel I, 1879, 16.
Price: £350

First editions. There may be two issues or editions: Wellcome and the first NUC entry (NjP only) have the same pagination as this copy, but the second NUC entry (without the supplement, 19 copies) is paginated 1p.l., 157, [8]p. The Princeton copy has a second edition of the supplementary letter by La Chesnaye des Bois, and in addition a ‘Lettre du p. Boujeat jesuite à m. l’abbé Savalette’, [4]p at the end (printed by P. Simon). Another edition, without the supplement, appeared in The Hague in the same year 1739. The book was evidently widely popular with reprints as late as 1783 (with the imprint ‘A Pékin et se trouve à Paris’) and it was translated into English (1739), German and Italian.
¶ Bougeant’s work is ostensibly a work on animal speech, but in fact a satirical attack on Descartes’ concept of the animal-machine.

"In the early eighteenth century the Cartesian doctrine of the animal-machine was waning, and by 1730 most participants in the debate granted some measure of mentality to animals, although their reasons varied. The whole controversy was reduced to absurdity in 1739, when a Jesuit, Father Bougeant, wrote a very telling criticism of the Cartesian doctrine and the prevailing alternatives. He concluded that the only solution which would not threaten religion was to grant souls to animals but to consider these the souls of demons or fallen angels inhabiting animal bodies as a punishment. His position allowed him to concede reason and a true language to beasts and neatly to justify their suffering. His order rewarded his ironical wit by applying stern disciplinary measures." (Robert M. Young Encyclopedia of philosophy I, 123.)