NOUVELLES de la République des Lettres. Amsterdam, Desbordes, Mortier, mars 1684-avril 1689; janvier 1699-décembre 1710; 194 issues in 51 volumes in-12 (133 x 76 mm), fawn calf, spines decorated with gilt fleurons (Bindings of the period). 11 plates including several inventions by Denys Papin, notably the Machine for transporting the power of rivers to distant places - and using the energy produced. EXCEPTIONAL QUASIALLY COMPLETE SERIES OF THE MOST FAMOUS "LIAISON BULLETIN" BETWEEN MEN OF LETTERS, LEARNERS AND PEOPLE OF SPIRIT, at the end of the 17th c. and the beginning of the 18th. Begun by Bayle (March 1684-February 1687) until his health forced him to give up, then continued by Le Clerc, Larroque, Barrin, and Jacques Bernard, this review, published in Amsterdam, gave critical analyses of everything that seemed important in the field of ideas: science, history, literature, philosophy... without fear of outspokenness (especially when it came to the persecution of Protestants). Faithful readers included Condé, Montausier, Lamoignon, La Fontaine, Mme de la Sablière and Malebranche. OUR EXEMPLAIRE IS ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE FROM MARCH 1684 (BEGINNING) TO DECEMBER 1710, at which point the journal interrupted for six years and resumed briefly from January 1716 to June 1718. It is extremely rare to find an uninterrupted series of these 16 years. A DELIGHTFUL COPY, BOUND FOR AN AMATEUR, IN VERY FINE UNIFORM FAWN CALF BINDINGS BY BOYET OR ONE OF HIS EMULATORS. Some minor damage: spotting on the 2nd plate of vol. I, worm damage at the bottom of some plates, damage to some headpieces; some pages browned. Some of the issues of the first two years, which had been rapidly sold out, are in the second or third edition, which implies some differences in pagination. Missing 2 ff. in July 1684.