LEPRINCE DE BEAUMONT (Jeanne-Marie). L'Adepte moderne, ou le - Lot 79

LEPRINCE DE BEAUMONT (Jeanne-Marie). L'Adepte moderne, ou le Secret des Franc-Maçons. Printed this year in London at the author's expense, s.d.. In-12, bradel of antique replacement parchment with red title page, red marks (modern binding). (2 of which the second is blank)-229-(3 blank) pp. A novel that makes the Freemasons the guardians of the alchemical secret. According to Wolfstieg (no. 41487), it was printed in 1777. The date of 1755 has sometimes been suggested due to internal dating elements in the text, but this is more likely to give an indication of when it was written than when it was published. The woman of letters Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont remains famous for her fairy tales, including Beauty and the Beast.