1768. 8vo, pp. [ii], 260, [ii] blank; with woodcut printer’s device on title-page, woodcut tail-pieces, and ten engraved plates by J.V. Schley and B. De Bakker; without half-title, seemingly never bound, and without the two errata leaves found in some copies; small tear within text of K1 but without significant loss, some occasional light foxing and spotting throughout, but otherwise clean and crisp; with later faint ownership stamp of Dr Paul Maisonneuve of Angers on front free endpaper; contemporary mottled calf, spine in compartments with raised bands, decorated in gilt with red morocco label, inner hinge cracked but holding head of spine chipped with loss exposing headband, spine and joints a little rubbed, extremities bumped, corners worn; still good. First edition, Paris issue of this interesting proto-evolutionary work, a follow-up to the author's four-volume treatise, ‘De la nature’ (1761-1766), and of appeal for the ten curious engraved plates, most of which are drawn and engraved by the Dutch artist Jacobus van der Schley. The present work deals ‘with mammals and objects of natural history resembling in shape human beings. Fossils, stones, mandrakes, various sea monsters, sirens etc. are described and illustrated, also the Orang Outang and the Chimpanzee. Robinet came near a real theory of evolution’ (Dawson catalogue 91, 5764).
‘Robinet’s work [the present book and two other books] illustrates several important elements in the scientific thinking of the second half of the eighteenth century: the unity of nature, the chain of beings, universal dynamism and sensibility, and - at this early date - vitalism. It also illustrates the role of Leibniz in the development of Enlightenment ideas on living nature’ (DSB 11: 493b).
‘Another issue with cancelled half title and title page was issued in Amsterdam in the same year with the slightly different title Vue philosophique de la gradation naturelle des formes de l'etre, ou Les essais de la nature qui apprend a faire l'homme’ and two leaves of advertisements at the end. Some copies of both issues have two leaves of errata headed by an apology that the author was not able to correct the proofs’ (Gaskell, 6:72). Gaskell notes that the errata leaves are lacking in many copies of both issues.