SEBOND, Raymond. Lot n° 1221

Natural Theology... in which, by order of nature, is demonstrated the truth of the Christian & Catholic faith, newly translated from Latin into French [by Michel Eyquem de Montaigne]. Paris, chez Guillaume Chaudière, 1569. Large volume in-8 (164 x 102 mm) of 2 ff.n.ch., 496 ff.ch., 30 ff.n.ch. de table; ivory vellum, spine ribbed with handwritten title piece, blue edges (17th century Italian binding). First edition, extremely rare, of the French translation by Michel de Montaigne. It is the first book by the author of the Essays. The privilege of publishing this translation was shared between the booksellers Guillaume Chaudiere, Gilles Gourbin and Michel Sonnius. It was at the request of his father that Montaigne set about translating the work of the Catalan doctor and philosopher Raymond Sebond (? - 1436) Scientia Libri Creatorum, composed between 1434 and 1436. A first translation in French had already been published in 1519, Jean Martin gave an abridged version in 1555, reedited in 1566. This text, claiming to found faith on reason, was blacklisted and then condemned in 1564. This translation had a decisive influence on the existence and thought of Montaigne, who was still an adviser to the parliament of Bordeaux. It also had the immense merit of removing him from the political career and confirming him in his vocation as a writer. Indeed, in July 1570, Montaigne returned to Parliament and came to Paris to publish the opuscules of La Boetie (died in 1563). Around February 1571, he decided to return to this home of his ancestors' gentle retreats to devote himself to the writing of future essays. Underlining the impasses of Sebond's system, the failures of reason and the faults of understanding, Montaigne sharpened his pen here, exercised and sharpened his thinking. Montaigne dediated this work to his father, who died on June 18, 1568: ? fleeing the burden that you gave me during the year spent with you in Montaig