Holland House.- Prostitution.- Bretonne (Rétif de la) Le Pornographe, ou Idees d'un honnete-homme sur un projet de reglement pour les prostituees..., 2 vol., third edition, London & The Hague, 1776.

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Holland House.- Prostitution.- Bretonne (Rétif de la) Le Pornographe, ou Idees d'un honnete-homme sur un projet de reglement pour les prostituees, propre a prevenir les malheurs qu'occasionne le publicisme des femmes, 2 vol., third edition, Holland House bookplates to pastedown, with usual crayon markings to bookplate, half-titles, front free endpapers detached to both vol., some light spotting or browning, contemporary calf, quite worn, vol. 1 upper cover detached, other joints split but covers just holding, vol.1 spine split but holding, 8vo, London & The Hague, 1776. *** Third edition, the most complete and best of the first title of the Idées Singuli res series, which includes the separate titles of La Mimographe, le Gynographe, l'Andrographe, and le Thesmographe. It is identical to the second edition, though enlarged by supplement and note on pp.477-492. The first part takes the form of an epistolary novel between a libertine and his confidante, and Bretonne develops a utopia of legal brothels administered by the state. In the second, smaller part, the author devotes himself to historical manifestations of prostitution. Provenance: Bookplates of Holland House, an early Jacobean country house in Kensington, known as the Whig social epicentre of early 19th century. The house was passed down to Henry Richard Fox by his uncle and frequented by the Holland House set.

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