BAUDELAIRE (Charles). Les Paradis artificiels. Opium and hashish. Paris, Poulet-Malassis et De Broise, 1860. In-12, brown half-maroquin with corners, spine decorated with cold filets, gilt title and date, untrimmed, cover and spine (pastiche binding). A rare and sought-after first edition. It was printed in an edition of 1500 copies, some of which were reissued in 1861. This is the first issue, with the title and cover dated correctly. In this seminal essay, Baudelaire deals with the relationship between drugs and poetic creation, offering in the first part, entitled Le Poème du haschisch, an account of his experiences at the Hashischins Club, and in the second, Un mangeur d'opium, a commentary mixed with translated passages from Thomas de Quincey's famous Confessions of an English Opium Eater, published in 1821. Autograph signed letter on the title page: to M. Crepet. Ch. Baudelaire. Precious letter from Baudelaire to the great Baudelairerian Eugène Crépet (1827-1892), admirer and first specialist of Baudelaire's work, whose Œuvres posthumes et correspondances inédites he edited in 1887. In the foreword to this work, published twenty years after the poet's death, Crépet wrote: "I myself knew a great deal about Baudelaire. At the time (1858-1863) when I was preparing and publishing the anthology entitled Les Poètes français, he was one of a group of highly talented critics with whom I collaborated". It was precisely on this occasion that their relationship deteriorated (see the chapter "L'Anthologie Crépet" by Pichois and Ziegler); indeed, the only mention of Eugène Crépet in Baudelaire's Carnet is under the heading "Vilaines canailles". A very fine copy, bound with the cover. Discreet repair to a corner of the cover. Vicaire, I, 345 - Carteret, I, 126 - Clouzot, 44 - Oberlé, Poulet-Malassis, n°228 - Claude Pichois and Jean Ziegler, Baudelaire, Julliard, 1987, pp. 456-468.