[1761]. Two volumes, 8vo; pp. xliv, 515; [iv], 560; with attractive woodcut title-page vignettes, woodcut arms and headpieces; faint dampstain affecting upper gutter of final few leaves of Vol. I, and also lower margins of ff. 451 to the end of Vol. II (though very faint), both volumes a little browned with occasional light spotting and soiling, though generally clean and crisp, in contemporary full speckled calf, spine in compartments with raised bands, ruled and decorated in gilt with red and green morocco labels, all edges marbled, retaining green silk markers, small nick with loss at head of spine and upper joint of Vol. I, small nick to tail, and to upper cover of Vol. II, with further light surface wear and to extremities and corners; a good copy. An uncommon introduction to science aimed at a female audience. Written in the form of a dialogue with an anonymous Comtesse, the work is modelled on those of Fontenelle and Algarotti, though according to the dedication to the Comtesse de Rochechouart, the present treatise offers a more complete course of physics than either previous work. The dedication also includes an interesting discussion on the education of women, contributing to the ongoing debate surrounding the role of women in society.
Prompted by the reappearance of Halley's comet in 1758, the countess is keen to understand the phenomena, but resents the fact that savants spend so little time on female education, and feels that most men want to limit their knowledge to 'feeble notions of geography, mythology and history'. Having emphasised that science is as much a practical study as a theoretical one, Devillers agrees to embark upon a course of instruction which he divides into 18 days, and deals with subjects such as pneumatics, hydrostatics and hydraulics, electricity (II, 1-65 with a section on medical electricity), gravity, the laws of motion, optics and the telescope and astronomy (days 16-18, II, 377-557).
Devillers moved to Lyons early in his career, and began lecturing on physics, later taking a room in the town hall to present his lecture series. He was elected a member of the Academy of Lyons, and was noted for his fine collection of instruments, or 'cabinet de physique'.