2. MATHON DE LA COUR,
Charles Joseph.
Testament de M. Fortuné Ricard, maitre d’Arithmétique á D***, lu et publié à l’Audience du Bailliage de cette Ville, le 19
aôut 1784.
Without name or place or printer,
1785.
First Edition. 8vo. 20 leaves.
Jefferson entered this book with a
French title; it is therefore to be assumed that he had a copy of the French edition. In 1785 Richard Price sent to him a copy of
the English translation published with the second edition of his own
Observations on the Importance of the American Revolution;
see no. 2993.
Charles Joseph Mathon de la Cour, 1738-1793, French scholar, philanthropist and artist.
The tracts are entered without price in the undated manuscript catalogue.
[3693]
31
Histoire des Mathematiques par Montucla.
4. v.
4
to.
1815 Catalogue, page 109, no. 30, Histoire des Mathematiques de Montucla et de la Lande, 4 v 4to.
MONTUCLA,
Jean-Étienne.
Histoire des Mathématiques . . . par J. F. Montucla, de l’Institut National de France. Tome Premier [-Second]. A
Paris: chez
A. Joubert,
1758.--
Histoire des Mathématiques . . . Nouvelle édition, considérablement augmentée, et prolongée jusque vers l’Époque Actuelle;
par J. F. Montucla, de l’Institut national de France. Tome Troisieme [-Quatrieme]. Achevé et publié par Jérôme de La Lande.
A
Paris: chez
Henri Agasse, An
X. (
mai 1802).
QA21 .M8
4to. Together 4 vol.
First Edition
of all volumes; no copy of vol. I and II was seen for collation; vol. III, 420 leaves, engraved portrait frontispiece of
La Lande by A. de St. Aubin after J. Ely, 17 folded engraved plates by Bernard; on 4 leaves at the end is a bibliography:
Des dépôts de Machines, et des livres qui en traitent; vol. IV, 346 leaves, 2 folded engraved plates by Bernard.
Jefferson ordered a copy of Montucla’s work from “Frouillé” [i.e. Froullé] in a letter dated from Philadelphia October 10, 1792. An undated letter (but written in 1792) to a European bookseller also requests a copy of Montucla, Histoire des Mathematiques.
In February 1805 Jefferson bought from
J. P. Reibelt, Baltimore, a
Histoire des Mathématiques, price $
4.00.
On May 17, 1805, Jefferson wrote from Washington to
P. and C. Roche, Philadelphia, to request a copy of the two volumes by Lalande: “
By a catalogue of yours published in Philadelphia, I percieve that you have the following books which I will ask the favor
of you to send me . . . I observe you have Montucla complete. should you have the additional part by de la Lande to dispose
of separately, I shall be glad of it. I already possess the original work of Montucla in 2. vols 4
to. & want only the Additions . . .
”
Roche replied on May 20, sending the books and the bill which included “
Les tomes 3 & 4 histoire des Mathématiques de Montucla revus par La Lande 2 vols. in 4
o. réliés $
12.00.
”
Roche’s letter read: “. . . L’histoire des mathématiques de Montucla formant un corps complet en 4 volumes in 4
o. ne se rend pas separément, cependant jalous de pouvoir faire quelque chose qui pousse, vous être agréable nous nous sommes
empressés de les joindre à L’envoy et avons écrit à paris pour demander ces deux derniers volumes . . .””
Jefferson acknowledged the receipt of the books on June 1: “
Th: Jefferson presents his salutations to Mess
rs. Roche, freres, and acknoleges the reciept of the books they sent him with particular thanks for the continuation of Montucla’s
work . . .
”
