Author: SÉMILLARD DES OVILLERS.-
Title: Manuel des oisifs, contenant sept cent folies & plus [=769], avec des notes, que plusieurs ont oubliées, & que beaucoup ignorent, ou Charades [Par le Doyen des Sages] Tome Premier [- Second].
Description: Paris, De l'imprimerie des Quinze-Vingts. Chez Oedipe, au Sphynx, Et se vend à Paris, Chez Le Boucher, Libraire du Châtelet, quai de Gêvres, à la Prudence, 1786. 8vo. In 2 vols. In the wonderful original blue limp paper covers, spine w. minimal imperf., edges of covers of vol. 2 a few unimportant chips. (Spine w. paper title shields, partially rubbed off; bottom of spine 2 (later) paper shelfmarks [a8, b2, A-Y8; n1, Z8-Aa-Vv8, Xx3]. (XX, 352; II, 353 - 694 [pp. 687 - 694 index] pp.). (Large paper copy, entirely uncut and untouched.). First edition. Lovely original condition, as close as one can get to just after the moment of printing when all that was needed to protect the bookblocks until they were bound in their definitive leather bindings, were simple blue paper covers. Barbier vol. III, 44c: by Sémillard des Ovillers, Curé de Tremblay. Barbier quotes the format as 12mo. Our copy definitely in 8 leaf quires. A collection of over 700 [=769] hundred (word) riddles to pass the time. A form of 'Charades'.

Keywords: anonymous language wordgames puzzles French pastimes games Z3 bdrb2