DIDEROT DENIS: (1713-1784) French philosopher, art critic and writer, a significant figure ...

DIDEROT DENIS: (1713-1784) French philosopher, art critic and writer, a significant figure during the Age of Enlightenment. An extremely rare A.L.S., Diderot, one page, small 4to, n.p., n.d., seemingly a retained draft of a letter to Joseph de La Porte, in French. The head of the letter is annotated by Diderot 'Modele de la lettre a M. L'abbe de la Porte' (Translation: 'Sample letter to M. L'abbe de la Porte') and his text states, in full, 'Des personnes mal informees, Monsieur, ayant repondu que la traduction imprimee du pere de famille de Goldoni etais faite par M. de Lavie et celle du veritable ami Veron de Foubonnais; La connaissance que j'ai eue de ces deux traductions m'oblige de declarer que celles qui paraissent sont tres differentes, et j'eu constate que ni l'un ni l'autre n'ont eu part a l'edition de ces ouvrages' (Translation: 'Some ill-informed people, Sir, having replied that the printed translation of Goldoni's pere de famille was by M. de Lavie and that of the true friend Veron de Foubonnais; The knowledge I have had of these two translations obliges me to declare that those which appear are very different, and I have noted that neither of them had any part in the publication of these works'). A letter with interesting associations. One very small, minor tear to the left edge. VG

Joseph de La Porte (1714-1779) French priest, literary critic, poet and playwright.

Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793) Italian playwright and librettist, a profuse author whose works included the comedy Il padre di famiglia ('The Father of the Family').

Francois Veron Duverger de Forbonnais (1722-1800)

Charles de Lavie (1694-1775) President of the First Chamber of Inquiries of the Bordeaux Parliament.