HOBBES (Thomas): Elemens philosophiques du Citoyen. Traicté - Lot 30

HOBBES (Thomas): Elemens philosophiques du Citoyen. Traicté politique où les Fondemens de la Société civile sont descouverts, par Thomas Hobbes, et Traduicts en François par un de ses amis [Samuel Sorbière]. Amsterdam, Jean Blaeu (à la sphère), 1649. 2 parts in one large in-12 volume, full contemporary vellum, (55), 246 p. and (1) blank f., 144 p. (8) Genuine first French edition, the most sought-after, alas incomplete of the errata ff. with Hobbes' portrait on the spine. It was translated from Latin by Samuel Sorbière, two years before the first English edition. Although published in Paris, the book was prudently printed under the Amsterdam address, Blaeu. A copy that conforms in all respects to MacDonald Hargreaves' description of the first edition, with the 28 introductory leaves: engraved allegorical first title, second title, epistle, preface, letter from Gassendi, from Mersenne, table. Bank leaf between the 2 parts, plus translator's disclaimer bound in at the end. A good copy of this seminal text in the history of political ideas. The first blank page is missing and the second is missing.