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Alexandre-André LE BRETON

Pièces originales et procédures du procès, fait à Robert-François Damiens, tant en la Prévôté de l'Hôtel, qu'en la Cour de Parlement

Chez Pierre-Guillaume Simon, à Paris 1757, in-12 (10x16,5cm), (1f. tit) lxxxiv ; 283pp. ; 84pp. et (1f. tit) 528pp. et (1f. tit) 451pp. et 552pp., 4 volumes reliés.

First edition in-12, published the same year as the original in-4, although its complete table of contents that was sold separately.
Copy the arms stamped on covers of Count de Broc (Britain), Lord of the Mill and Jumelière, Azure, a chevron, accompanied of three crescents, all gold.
Binders full mottled calf blond at the time. back smooth decorated with parts of title and volume number of red morocco and Havana, as well as boxes and gilded florets. boards to arms. Cuts and caps highlighted with golden threads. All marbled. A threadbare tail cap, a weakly broken tail. Some very tiny worm work on the joints. Nice copy.
. Rare edition in four volumes of this book traces the sensational trial of Robert-François Damiens, quartered last of France, condemned for his assassination attempt on Louis XV After the sentence, Damiens would have this famously laconic " the day will be tough. " History has it that the sentence is executed in atrocious conditions: more than two hours and a quarter ordeal during which the executioners had to take it to some sixty times because we were not allowed to cut the joints, as well as it was customary. This veritable torture scene is described by Voltaire in his History of the Parliament of Paris, but also by Casanova in his famous memoirs: "We had the constancy to stay four whole hours in this horrible spectacle. I will say nothing, because I would be too long, and besides, it is known to everyone. It is not known if Damiens was a fanatic who tried to kill Louis XV, or a father wanting to punish the king of having abused his daughter and thinking do a good work. We think he did not try to kill but to injure him with a knife, but the King bled a lot and thought his last hour. This people to their torment called hell monster vomited to assassinate the best of kings he believed to worship, and he called the Beloved. [...] The people of France, said M. de Voltaire even, is the most abominable of all peoples. Chameleon who takes all colors, and capable of everything a chef wants him to do good or bad. "
The book, a series of interrogative and negative issues of guilt evidence testifies to the judicial proceedings of the time; guilt is proved, sought to extort a confession by any rhetorical means; trial led him naturally to the performance that we know, demonstrating that once launched the judicial machine, we can not stop it, while Louis XV himself was eager to spare his life.

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