'THE FIRST TRULY REPUBLICAN MANIFESTO OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA'

DESMOULINS, CAMILLE.

Opusculins de l'an premier de la liberté. [Bound together:] La France libre, Quatrieme Édition; Discourse de la Lanterne aux Parisiens, Troisieme Édition; Réplique aux deux Mémoires des sieurs leleu, Insignes Menuiers de Corbeil, En Présence de M. Necker; Réplique aux deux Mémoires des Sieurs Éloi & Dominique-César Leleu, infignes Meuniers de Corbeil, En Présence de M. Necker; Réclamation en Faveur de Mis. De Saint_Huruge.

Paris, Chez Garnéry, (1790). 8vo. Bound uncut with broard margins in a nice later half calf with richly gilt spine. Engraved frontispiece depicting a man holder a speech (Discourse de la lantern aux Parisiens, le Procureur Général portant la parole.). First three leaves with a faint damp stain. A fine and clean copy. (5),71,(3),67,(5),45,(3),12 pp.

Rare first edition of Desmoulins' collected works. As a journalist and politician Desmoulins played a central role in the French Revolution.

LA FRANCE LIBRE had at first been rejected by the French publisher due to its radical content: "popular and democratic government is the only constitution which suits France, and all those who are worthy of the name of men". The storming of the Bastille and Desmoulins' personal and public involvement changed the situation and the pamphlet was quickly published.
"Camille Desmoulins's pamphlet La France libre, which appeared in July 1789, can be seen as 'the first truly republican manifesto of the revolutionary era'. (Hammersley, French revolutionaries and English republicans, 2005, p. 36).

DISCOURS DE LA LANTERNE AUX PARISIENS celebrated political violence and praised the loyalty and patriotism of the citizens who made up the Parisian mob. Since this pamphlet was written from the perspective of the Place de Grève lamppost Desmoulins became known as the "Procureur-général de la lanterne" ("the Lanterne Prosecutor" or "Lanterne Attorney").

Desmoulins was a close friend of Georges Danton, a leading figure in the early stages of the French Revolution. Together they were executed by the guillotine on the April 5, 1794 for their central role in the Revolution.

Order-nr.: 43841