[GAIN de MONTAGNAC Louis Laurent Joseph]. Memoirs of the Chevalier de Kilpar. Translated or imitated from the English by M. Fielding. Paris, Veuve Duchesne, 1768 ; 2 vol. in-12 of [2] ff, xii-282 pp., [1] f. ; [2] ff, 293 pp., [1] f., contemporary red morocco, three gilt fillets framing the boards, gilt arms in the centre, ornate smooth spines, olive parts, gilt edges. First edition. This literary deception is part of the robinsonnade genre; it recounts the adventures of the Chevalier de Kilpar, who is plunged into a foreign environment and encouraged to reflect on the mores of his time. The novel is dedicated to Fanny de Beauharnais, whose literary career had not yet taken off. Louis Laurent Joseph Gain de Montagnac (1731-1780), a native of Limousin and former captain in the Riom regiment, presented his work as a translation of a manuscript attributed to Henry Fielding, intending to take advantage of the latter's fame. A precious dedication copy, on strong paper, bound with the arms of Countess Fanny de Beauharmais (1737-1813). Barely rid of her cumbersome husband, she maintained one of the most brilliant salons in Paris. Provenances: Countess Fanny de Beauharnais with her arms gilt on the boards; G. Pixerecourt (with bookplate); Léon Hennique (with bookplate); Count Le Moyne de Martigny (with bookplate). - PHP stamp. 📖 Cioranescu, Bibliogr. de la littérature du XVIIIe siècle, II, n° 30084. - Olivier, Manuel de l'amateur de reliures armoriées française, pl. 480.