Le Grand Mistere, Ou l'Art de Mediter sur la Garderobe, Renouvellé et Devoilé par l'Ingenieux Docteur Swift [pages 1-40, with selections from L'Art de Ramper en Poesie and L'Art du Mensonge Politique]

Jonathan Swift

Translation of a scatological work attributed, likely falsely, to Jonathan Swift. In a binding which is evidently contemporary, this is in fact a curious composite volume; everything after page 40 (sig. C4) is from a volume of Swift & Pope's Miscellanies, viz. chapters 9-16 of L'Art de Ramper en Poesie (pp. 170-244), and the complete L'Art du Mensonge Politique (pp. 245-280), with an 8-page catalog at the end. It seems clear that this is the form in which the volume was originally assembled and sold. The first work was translated into French by the Abbé P.-F. Guyot Desfontaines, and the volume in its normal form contained, from pages 40-193, G.L. Le Sage's Pensées Hazardées sur les Études, la Grammaire, la Rhetorique et la Poétique, with a catalogue of Van Duren's publications at the end of the volume, pages 194-218. This French version has been reprinted several times: in 1743 (with the title Art de Mediter sur la Chaise Percée); in 1870 (in Le Nouveau Merdiana, ou Manuel Scatologique); and again as recently as 1946. It is based on an English work, published 1726, entitled the Grand Mystery, or Art of Meditating over an House of Office, Restored and Unveiled after the manner of the ingenious Dr. S--ft (Lowndes, p. 2561).

La Haye [i.e. The Hague]: Jean van Duren, 1729. 2 works bound in 1. [2], 7-40; 170-280, [8 advertisement] pp. Period mottled calf, spine decorated in gilt, lettering piece, patterned endpapers, all edges stained red. Binding somewhat dry and rubbed. Several minor pencil annotations, spots, and tears inside but generally quite clean. Very Good. Item #434

Price: $325.00