NEW OBSERVATIONS ON ITALY AND ITS INHABITANTS, Written in French by Two Swedish Gentlemen. Translated into English

London: For L. Davis and C. Reymers, Printers to the Royal Society, 1769. 2 volumes. First edition in English. With half-titles. Tall 8vo, in contemporary full mottled calf, the spines with simple gilt ruled raised bands, buff gilt trimmed and lettered labels and gilt volume numbers. The board edges gilt tooled, page edges speckled in red. xi, [errata], 445; iv, 394, [10] pp. A very fine set, beautifully preserved, the text is fresh and clean with little evidence of use, some very light cosmetic wear to the joints but the hinges firm and strong. FIRST EDITION, QUITE SCARCE AND AN EXCELLENT COPY OF NUGENT'S TRANSLATION OF GROSLEY'S TRAVELS. Although it is stated on the title-page that the authors were Swedish, in fact the author was Pierre Jean Grosley, the prolific French writer known for his erudition and insights. His "Observations on Italy" (originally published in French in 1764) is his most important work. Along with being an excellent account of Italy, Grosley also demonstrates within it through his descriptions of his countrymen in Italy, many foibles and vanities which are part of the French character. It is suggested by Nugent that by claiming the authors to be anonymous travelers from Swedish, the French public would accept the this criticism more easily than if it came from a Frenchman. It has also been suggested that as a travel narrative it would be considered of greater value if the travelers were from somewhere farther away.
Sections within the book relative to the article of Venice, and the Sacred panegiric of the seraphic father Saint Francis were by Francesco da S. Augustino Macedo and had originally been printed in Padua. There is also a comparative history of Italian and French music; an essay which "fell into my hands" according to the "Editor."
The book is decidedly scarce, we can find no other copies currently available in the marketplace and there are no records of copies appearing at auction for at least 30 years and OCLC lists fewer than 40 copies in institutional holdings.