Lettres d'Héloïse et d'Abeilard – Nouvelle Édition, Tome I – À Londres, 1790

An exceptional and rare antique volume: Lettres d’Héloïse et d’Abeilard, et Épîtres Amoureuses — Nouvelle Édition, Tome Premier — published à Londres, 1790. Over 236 years old and in remarkable condition for its age.

The love letters of Héloïse and Abélard are among the most celebrated and moving texts in all of French literature — a correspondence of passionate devotion, spiritual conflict, and enduring love between the 12th-century philosopher Pierre Abélard and his brilliant student Héloïse. This 1790 London edition is a beautiful survivor of the Enlightenment era.

• Title: Lettres d’Héloïse et d’Abeilard, et Épîtres Amoureuses
• Edition: Nouvelle Édition, Tome Premier (Volume 1)
• Place & Year: À Londres, 1790
• Format: Pocket / duodecimo (12mo)
• Binding: Original full marbled paper boards (warm amber/brown tortoiseshell pattern) with magnificent gilt-tooled leather spine — 6 raised bands, elaborate floral/gothic gilt panels, volume number in gilt — exceptional quality
• Dimensions: Approximately 19 cm tall × 12 cm wide
• Estimated weight: ca. 250–300 g
• Interior: Elegant 18th-century typography; includes preface “Extrait d’une Lettre à M. de Beauchamps”; pages age-yellowed with light foxing consistent with 236-year-old paper; text block structurally sound and complete
• Condition: Pre-owned, antique — boards worn with some rubbing; gilt-tooled spine in remarkable condition with gilt largely intact; text block sound

A truly exceptional collector’s piece — one of the great love stories of Western literature in a beautiful 18th-century binding. Perfect for a curated library, a romantic interior, or as a treasured gift. Sold individually (Tome I).