The Devil Upon Two Sticks, translated from the Diable Boiteux of M. Le Sage. To which are prefixed, Asmodeus's Crutches, A Critical Letter upon the Work; and Dialogues between two Chimneys of Madrid. Ornamented with Cuts.
London: Printed by John Rivington, jun. For W. Strahan, T. Lownes, T. Becker, and E. Johnston, 1778. 12mo, xxiii, 291, [18] pages, period full leather. Illustrated with 12 of 13 black-and-white engravings. Alain-René Le Sage’s The Devil upon Two Sticks, newly translated from Le Diable Boiteux, is a classic work of early eighteenth-century French satirical fiction, here in its 1778 London edition. The novel follows the demon Asmodeus, who lifts the rooftops of Madrid and reveals the private lives, scandals, hypocrisies, vanities, and intrigues hidden within the city’s houses. Blending picaresque humor, supernatural fantasy, and sharp social observation, the work became one of Le Sage’s best-known productions and helped popularize the image of the witty, worldly-wise devil exposing human folly. This edition is especially appealing for collectors of eighteenth-century literature, French literature in translation, illustrated books, satire, comic fiction, and devilish or supernatural literary themes. Top board detached, rear hinge cracked, a few closed tears, some rubbing and wear, one of the engravings is missing, textblock shaken, some scattered foxing and discoloration, else in good condition. Item #291
Price: $250.00