LA LANDE (Jérôme de) et VOLTAIRE

Réflexions sur les Comètes qui peuvent approcher de la Terre [suivi de] Lettre sur la prétendue comète

Florence-Montpellier: Rigaud, 1773. Florence-Montpellier, Rigaud, 1773. 8vo, frontispiece, (2), 55 and (1) pages ; original gray wrappers (waterstains on the first cover and the 3 first leaves). Item #3682

New edition, printed in Montpellier for the Italian market, in the same year as the original Parisian edition.
Lalande "caused another stir in 1773, when he discussed the possibility of a collision between the earth and a comet. His work on the perturbation of comets by the planets indicated that the orbit of a comet might be altered enough to make a collision with the earth possible. He realized that the likelihood of such a collision was extremely slight, but he failed to emphasize this point in summarizing his paper before the Academy. The result was a panic in Paris based on the rumor that Lalande had predicted the imminent destruction of the earth. Even prompt publication of the entire paper [the present publication] did not completely reassure the public." DSB., VII, p. 581.
This Montpellier edition is enlarged with Voltaire's ironic "Lettre sur la prétendue comète" and Dorat's "Epitre aux cometes, écrite quelques jours avant la desctruction des mondes", which were first printed in L'esprit des Journaux on 15 July 1773.
Despite some waterstains, a fine copy in its original condition.

Price: €360.00