[Provenance: Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun] Jacques Leschassier. Les oeuvres

de M. Iacques Leschassier, Parisien, advovat en parlement. Contenans plusier excellens traittez; tant du droit public des Romains, que de celuy des François. Ensemble quelques memoires servans à l'antiquité de l'église & à l'illustration de l'histoire de France. Paris, n.publ., 1649, (26),492,(4),82 p., contemp. vellum, black painted gilt spine, 4to.

Extremely rare first edition of the collected juridical works of Jacques Leschassier (1550-1625), we were able to trace only a handful of copies in libraries worldwide (no copies in the Netherlands). From the library of Andrew Fletcher, with his owner's entry in pen on lower pastedown. Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1655-1716), Scottish bibliophile, globetrotter, author of political works and member of parliament, friend of the philosopher John Locke. The greater part of the huge library (6000 books across a wide range of subjects, often bought during his travels) was sold in the 1960s. His choice of books reflects his wide-spread interest in law and government (both theoretical and in practice), in politics, conspiracy and intrigue, religion, history and literature. See P.J.M. Willems, Bibliotheca Fletcheriana, the extraordinary library of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, Reconstructed and Systematically Arranged (1999); W.C. Mackenzie, Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, his life and times (1935). In our auction 25 we already sold a number of books from his library. See also other lots in this auction.