8vo (167 x 97 mm). Half-titles and title-pages in English and French, text in English and French; engraved frontispiece portrait of Franklin after J.-S. Duplessis by A. Tardieu. (Scant mostly-marginal spots to a few leaves.) Contemporary pink pastepaper-covered boards, black morocco lettering-piece gilt.
Renouard's bi-lingual edition of Franklin's popular aphorisms, first published for the Poor Richard's Almanac in 1758. The present edition includes Franklin’s letter to Madame Passy, the "Dialogue entre la goutte et Franklin,” the poem "Le Sage et la goutte," the essay "Quelques mots sur l'Amérique, avis à ceux qui voudroient aller s'établir dans cette contrée,” and Franklin’s epitaph, which appears in both French and English. This copy includs the separately-paginated "Observations sur les Sauvages du Nord de l'Amérique," noted by Ford to be present in only a few copies, but it does not include the two publisher's catalogues found in only a few copies. Franklin's popularity in France, where he served as U. S. Minister from 1779-1785, is evident in the fine printing of this edition. Celebration of My Country 132; Ford 107 & 135; Sabin 25596.