L'Ordre Naturel it Essentiel des Societes Politiques [The Natural Order of the Essential Political Societies] Thomas Jefferson Library Collection. FIRST EDITION of the physiocrat's best-known book, praised by Adam Smith and Diderot, among others, and considered by some of his contemporaries to be superior to Montesquieu's L'esprit des loix. Among other reactions it provoked Voltaire's L'homme aux quarante ecus.

L'Ordre Naturel it Essentiel des Societes Politiques [The Natural Order of the Essential Political Societies] Thomas Jefferson Library Collection. FIRST EDITION of the physiocrat's best-known book, praised by Adam Smith and Diderot, among others, and considered by some of his contemporaries to be superior to Montesquieu's L'esprit des loix. Among other reactions it provoked Voltaire's L'homme aux quarante ecus. Le Mercier de La Rivière, Pierre-Paul. 1767. Londres / Paris: Chez Jean Nourse / Chez Desaint. Contemporary French mottled calf, all edges marble, marble endpapers. 16mo (3.75x6.5") 353 pp. Full mottled brown calf. Spine with five gilt decorated raised bands, gilt lettering to red leather in two compartments, gilt floral device with gilt rule frames to all other compartments. Edgeware, corners bumped and rubbed with small loss to tips, rear lower corner chipped with loss. Head and foot of spine chipped with small loss, bottom 1.5" of upper hinge starting, upper board with water stain (see pic). Text appears very clean. A pretty little book.