BOTANICS. NATURAL HISTORY. DAUBENTON (Pierre). Letters from - Lot 19

BOTANICS. NATURAL HISTORY. DAUBENTON (Pierre). Letters from Pierre Daubenton to Étienne-François Dutour de Salvert (1711-1784), correspondent of the Académie Royale des Sciences, Riom. An enthusiast for natural history physics, he worked on magnetism, electricity and optics. 2 L.A.S. on laid paper, "Au jardin du Roi" and s.l. [Montbard], January 17, 1766 and March 28, 1766. 6 pp. in-4. On January 17, he warns his correspondent of a delay in the delivery of trees and explains the reason: "The heat having been considerable last summer and the drought so long that it began to rain only in the first days of October, it revived the sap so much that the leaves were sustained in all their vivacity until November 18 [...]". [...]". Daubenton thanks Dutour for the leaves he sent, which enabled him to increase his collection of "[...] spines which are very curious [...]". Finally, he mentions the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Buffon in Paris. The letter of March 28 begins with Pierre Daubenton's incomprehension: "I don't know how it happened that we forgot, sir, to enclose seedlings with your package [...] There is no way of finding here rejects (sic) of Tulipier since this tree never gives any unless it has been cut at the foot [...] I found a gardener who brought several seedlings from England two years ago, of which I still have some. They are well taken up in pots. I have asked him, Sir, to send you one with the root ball in [...]". He informs Dutour of the poor tree harvest and mentions personal worries "[...] I have been offered to pass my commission on to my son, but I would like him simply to be appointed my deputy. I don't think I'll get that [...]". He apologizes for not having been able to speak "[...] to M de Buffon nor to my brother, the former having left here and the latter not yet having arrived [...]". Finally, he mentions the parliament and an interesting decree: "It is a sort of confession of faith on the nature of the king's power and the authority of his parliaments. It has not been printed, but a few copies are being circulated. He concludes with the suspension of the Grenoble parliament and the king's demands of his parliament, i.e. "to render justice to his subjects and to give them the example of submission". Missing paper at the bucket and middle fold on one of the letters, with anecdotal damage to the text.