[Jean-François MAYEUR]. L'Odalisque, Work translated from th - Lot 67

[Jean-François MAYEUR]. L'Odalisque, Work translated from the Turkish. Par Voltaire. A Constantinople, Chez Ibrahim Bectas, Imprimeur du grand Visir, auprès de la Mosquée de Ste-Sophie. With privilege of his Highness and the Muphti, 1796. In-12, half-grained green chagrin cloth, small corners, smooth spine decorated (19th century binding). 75 pp. 4 free figures including frontispiece. The fleuron on the title shows the figure JFM of the true author of the novel. The publisher's notice states that "Voltaire composed this work at the age of 82. The manuscript was given to us by his private secretary, which authorizes us to assure the authenticity of what we are saying. It will be seen that it would have been easy for us to remove a few expressions that were as gravelly as they were forceful [ ] We believe that a great man should be respected even in the deviations of his imagination". On the verso of the title page, a printed note reads: "copies of this work can be found in Paris, at Libraire cour Mandar, n° 9". The work was therefore not as clandestine as the title suggests. Only the engravings were probably sold under the table. Cohen, 695; Monglond III, 744, who mentions other attributions; Pia, 999; Dutel, A-765.