Sowerby Catalogue Volume III : page 85

J. 124

Etats Generaux de 1789. par Brissot. 8 ^vo.

1815 Catalogue, page 97. no. 132, as above.

BRISSOT de WARVILLE, Jacques Pierre.

Plan de conduite pour les députés du peuple aux États-Généraux de 1789. Par J. P. Brissot de Warville . . . Avril 1789.

JN2485 1789 .B8

First Edition. 8vo. 170 leaves, the last 20 leaves with separate signatures and pagination for the Notes.

Quérard I, 520.

Contemporary calf. Not initialled by Jefferson. With the Library of Congress 1815 bookplate.

The Etats Généraux met on May 5, 1789 at Versailles for the first time since 1614. On June 17, by a motion of the abbé Siéyès, the Etats Généraux became the Assemblée Nationale.

Many of the writings of Brissot de Warville, q.v. appear in this catalogue.

[2565]

J. 125

Political tracts. French. 1789. 8 ^vo.

1815 Catalogue, page 101. no. 138, [ i.e., prob. “137” as per Trist MS.-- Ed.]

A collection of 7 political pamphlets bound together, probably for Jefferson, in a half binding; 8vo., with the Library of Congress 1815 bookplate. The tracts numbered serially in ink.

JA36 .P8 vol. 9

1. [JEFFERSON, Thomas.]

An Act for establishing Religious Freedom, passed in the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning of the year 1786.--Acte de la République de Virginie, qui établit la liberté de religion, passé à l’assemblée de la Virginie au commencement de l’année 1786. Without name of place or printer, n.d. [? Paris, ? 1786]

4 leaves. French and English texts on opposite pages.

Sabin 100344.

This edition not in Swem, not in Ford, and not in Johnston.

Jefferson was in Paris at the time of the passing of the bill in 1786 by the Assembly, and immediately caused editions to be printed in that city. A translation was made by the Marquis de St. Lambert to whom Jefferson wrote on August 8, 1786: “ M ^r. Jefferson has the honour of presenting his compliments to Monsieur le Marquis de S ^t. Lambert, and of thanking him for his very excellent translation of the act of the Virginia Assembly. an opportunity having occurred, before the receipt of it, of forwarding the act to some foreign courts where it was thought it would be well received, m ( ^~r ) Jefferson had been obliged to print copies from a translation prepared for the Encyclopedie. he shall endeavor as soon as possible to avail the public of the better one of M. de S ^t. Lambert. he begs leave to present to him, and also through him to Madame la Comtesse d’Houditot, the homage of his respects. ”

In a letter to George Wythe, dated from Paris, August 13, 1786, Jefferson wrote: “ . . . The European papers have announced that the assembly of Virginia were occupied on the revisal of their Code of laws. this, with some other similar intelligence, has contributed much to convince the people of Europe, that what the English papers are constantly publishing of our anarchy, is false; as they are sensible that such a work is that of a people only who are in perfect tranquillity. our act for freedom of religion is extremely applauded. the Ambassadors & ministers of the several nations of Europe resident at this court have asked of me copies of it to send to their sovereigns, and it is inserted at full length in several books now in the press; among others, in the new Encyclopedie. I think it will produce considerable good even in these countries where ignorance, superstition, poverty & oppression of body & mind in every form, are so firmly settled on the mass of the people, that their redemption from them can never be hoped . . . ”

Four months later, on December 16, Jefferson wrote to James Madison: “ . . . the Virginia act for religious freedom has been ”