Petite Encyclopédie ou Les Élemens des Connoisances Humaines, Contenant Les Notions générales de toutes les Sciences, de tous les Arts utiles,& des matieres qui ont rapport à la Société.

Paris: Nyon & Veuve Savoye 1766/ First edition of this encyclopedia for young persons, which explores a variety of topics including the sciences, arithmetic, geometry, optics, astronomy, medicine, and civil law. Contemporary calf, gilt spine in six compartments with gilt-lettered red morocco label, marbled edges. Marbled endpapers. Two volumes, octavo. Two folding plates, one being a table of human knowledge (Vol. I) and the other showing how geometry is used in measuring (Vol. II). Engraved headpieces and vignettes. Binding extremities slightly rubbed. Intermittent light foxing, slight browning. The occasional minor spot or smudge. Small hole to outer margin of pp. 219-220, not affecting text. A fine set. Pons Augustin Alletz (1703-1785) was a French agronomist and the grandfather of author and diplomat Édouard Alletz (1798-1850). He spent several years living in a Catholic community that belonged to the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri before he began working as a lawyer in Montpellier. He soon changed careers and moved to Paris to focus on writing. His best known work is L'Agronome, ou Dictionnaire portatif du cultivateur (1760), published in two volumes; it was considered one of the best manuals of country living during its time