FRANCESCO LOCATELLI (1687-1770) Letters from Moscow. Paris: Huart l'ainé, 1736. In French In its original dust jacket. Loss of the spine and fragments of paper on the edges of the dust jacket, wear and soiling; the body of the book is divided into several parts, but is otherwise in good condition. Bookplate engraved by Martin Winkler, drawn by A. Kravchenko, on the inside flyleaf. Francesco Locatelli's 'Lettres moscovites', published anonymously in Paris in 1735, is considered to be one of the best-known and earliest Italian accounts of eighteenth-century Russia; it was in fact a pamphlet which, through its mocking tone and popularity in Europe, deeply offended the Russian government. Locatelli believed that the Russians were the descendants of Scythian slaves who had rebelled and fled to the northern forests. Russians are fundamentally different from Europeans, striving to return to ancient customs and hating all the innovations of the era of Peter the Great. Russian barbarism, he believed, threatened Europe. The Russians were seeking to take control of the Baltic Sea and seize neighbouring lands, including the kingdom of Poland. Locatelli believed that Russia was a weak state and that European armies could easily overcome it. He called for the Russians to be driven back into 'their forests'. Authorship based on : Barbier, Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes. Vol. 2. Paris, 1874. Column 1280. Provenance : Martin Winkler (1893-1982) - German cultural and art historian, professor, specialist in early Russian art, member of the German Society for Eastern European Studies. A rare item. Francesco Locatelli Lanzi (1687-1770) - a nobleman from Bergamo, he served France for several years during the War of the Spanish Succession, then led a dissolute life between Bergamo and Paris; in 1733, he fled from Paris to Russia under a false name, in the hope of being admitted to the army. In Russia, he was suspected of espionage - subsequent events revealed him to be a talented and much sought-after intelligence analyst. At the buyer's request, we would be happy to provide a general condition report on the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to carry out their own inspection or consult a specialist of their choice for a full assessment of the condition of the lot. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.