Sacred Odes of Mr. Rousseau, detached from the body of his works. Brussels, Gilles Strykwant, 1738, 4°, [6]-108 p., full green vellum of the time, gilt edges (bindings with a baker's glaze, blackened edges, browning, freckles). Rare. First edition of a collection of sacred songs in verse chosen from his own works by Jean Baptiste Rousseau (1671-1741), most of them based on psalms and a few on other biblical texts. Born in Paris, Rousseau published his Cantates françoises around 1705 and made a name for himself with his texts. His pamphlets and a few obscene verses sometimes caused him trouble, but he had a promising career ahead of him when he published his Works in 1712. But that year, a quarrel over offensive verses he had allegedly written forced him into exile in Brussels. He lived there all his life, as well as elsewhere abroad, sometimes publishing selections of his works, such as the one published today, and returning to Paris only for a clandestine visit at the time he published this collection. He gained greater fame posthumously, notably as the creator of the "French cantata", and is still considered the best French lyricist of the time.
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