DIDEROT (Denis). - Lot 36

DIDEROT (Denis). Œuvres de Denis Diderot, published, based on the author's manuscript, by Jacques-André Naigeon. Tome douzième. Paris: Desray, Deterville, An VI-1798. -In-8, 215 x 144: (2 ff.), 281 pp. pp. (349)-372, pp. (377)-467. Half marbled calf, smooth spine decorated, untrimmed (contemporary binding). The twelfth of 15 volumes of Diderot's works published by Jacques-André Naigeon, the first to be compiled from Diderot's authoritative manuscripts. It contains La Religieuse, Les Deux amis de Bourbonne, Ceci n'est pas un conte, Sur l'inconséquence du jugement public et nos actions particulières and Sur les femmes. A precious copy by Charles Claude Naigeon (1737-1815), known as Naigeon jeune, younger brother of publisher Jacques-André Naigeon. He was a food controller in Sedan, as well as a copyist and collaborator with Baron d'Holbach. He put his autograph signature on the false title leaf and removed part of the book's contents, namely pages 283 to 348, containing the Publisher's Warning and the Extract from M***'s literary correspondence, year 1770, as well as pages 373 to 376, containing the Author's Warning. Nevertheless, this copy is of great interest thanks to the numerous autograph notes that Naigeon added in the margins. These are well-constructed and pertinent reflections and reading notes, full of wit and philosophy. Naigeon was a non-believer, which is evident in some of his notes, notably when he comments on this passage from La Religieuse: "I was doubtless questioned, I doubtless answered; I took vows, but I have no memory, and I found myself a nun as innocently as I was made a Christian" (p. 54). And so he adds this lengthy comment, the thought of which concurs with that of Baron d'Holbach: "this proves the case that one must make of an opinion that is given before one can have an idea. The priests were quite right to seize precisely the moment of birth to make what they call a Christian, for there is a thousand to bet that if one waited for the development of a child's reason, to put him in a position to choose a Religion, it would surely not be the Christian one that he would choose; it is too absurd, too cruel; its precepts are too vacillating, too contradictory, too exalted and contrary to the purpose of nature. After examination, the Church would come to feel how useless all this hodgepodge of diverse dogmas is for its happiness in this world, the only one it can know, since it is there, and the one of which these same dogmas speak is a chimera; for why should there be two worlds? And if so, why should one be happier in the second than in the first? This is the reason why the inhabitants of this second world (for men are undoubtedly born there too) never come to this one: in truth, the whole thing is laughable...". On page 137, he talks about his brother. To the question "Where is the place of servitude and despotism?" he answers, "in the heart of my monster of a brother." Commenting on Ceci n'est pas un conte, he writes: "In my opinion, it's impossible to read this piece without experiencing every kind of emotion, and without saying to oneself what a monster man is! some of them at least. ah!! may I be forgiven this restriction! Yes, I dare say, in terms of love, I have (if I still dared, I would add, in other respects too) no point of contact with Gardeil and a thousand and one others; on the contrary, I am a tender Celadon." Alas, we can't take note of everything, and the copy would deserve more in-depth work, given the richness of Naigeon's comments. The binding is very faded, with the spine largely missing, the hinges cracked and the first endpaper unbound. However, this is the original binding and the copy has full margins. Attached is a small cut-out engraving from the period, between pages 258-259. Provenance: Charles Claude Naigeon, with his signature and numerous autograph notes.