One of the XX rarest Pyrenean books - Lot 314

One of the XX rarest Pyrenean books DIETRICH (Philippe Frédéric de) baron Description des Gîtes de Minerai, des forges et des Salines des Pyrénées, suivie d'observations sur le fer Mazé et sur les Mines des Sards en Poitou. Première (et seconde) partie (suivi de) Description des Gîtes de Minerai, Forges, Salines, Verreries, filéfileries, Fabriques de Fer-Blanc, Porcelaine, Faïence, etc. de la Haute et Basse-Alsace. Third and fourth parts. Paris, Didot ; Cuchet ; Strasbourg, Treuttel (plus on the latter) ; imprimerie de Monsieur,1786-89. In 4: XXXVI (pagination errors: XIII-XIV repeated, XVIII-XIX skipped without missing), 1f., 597pp; 6 plates out of text (including 4 folding plates enhanced in color after LACHABEAUSSIERE) and 7 folding tables. Contemporary glazed blond calf, decorated spine ribbed, red title page, restored spinebands, central gilt coat of arms, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, filleted edges, inner lace, minor defects, gilt edges. The false titles are "Description des Gîtes de Minerai, et des Bouches à Feu de la France. Tome premier. Première Tournée" and "idem. Tome second. Seconde Tournée". In the Alsace section, we assume that the original first twelve pages were changed en route and enlarged to make 24 pages, which, to restore a semblance of coherence to the pagination, were changed to folios: 1-1bis 2-2 bis, etc... It is possible that some copies have "normal" pagination. In the first part (Pyrenees), the last leaf of the preliminaries, numbered XXXV-XXXVI and devoted to the "Table des Mémoires", and the verso to the "errata", is missing from many copies (but is present here). The final volume, which completes this set and is missing from this copy, is devoted to Lorraine Méridionale, published in An VIII (parts V and VI, 576pp. + XXXIV, with 2 tables), i.e. more than ten years after the others and after the author's death. This work is extremely rare, and is generally found unpaired. Baron DIETRICH (1748-1793) was a renowned mineralogist, whose fame earned him the position of king's commissioner for the inspection of mines, fire hydrants and forests in the kingdom. He was the first constitutional mayor of Strasbourg. Although he fervently embraced revolutionary ideas, he remained attached to the constitutional monarchy. It was at his home that Rouget de l'Isle composed and sang the Marseillaise for the first time. Having officially protested against the day of June 21, 1792, he had to flee for a time to Basel. On his return to France, he was tried and acquitted by the Doubs court, then brought before the revolutionary tribunal and sentenced to death. He was beheaded on December 28, 1793 (Labarère 489)(Labarère les XX livres pyrénéistes les plus rares n° XIV, page 20). Provenance: Dedication copy bearing the arms of the Comte d'Artois, future Charles X (OHR 2550, iron no. 5).