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Title Page of De l'esprit des loix, 1749 Edition (Leiden)

Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu · 1749

The title page of a 1749 Leiden edition of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws.

This title page represents another printing of Montesquieu's own major work, authored by him.

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Title page of De l'esprit des loix, 1749, printed in Leyde (Leiden). Large capitals read 'DE L'ESPRIT DES LOIX', followed by a subtitle in French, 'Tome Premier', a Latin motto from Ovid, and the imprint 'A LEYDE, Chez les Libraires Associés' with the date MDCCXLIX. A handwritten signature and a round library stamp appear in the lower corners.
Montesquieu, De l'esprit des loix, 1749. Printed in Leiden.

About this source

What it is

This is the title page of a 1749 edition of De l'esprit des loix by Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, printed in Leiden by the Libraires Associés.

Why it matters

This work laid out Montesquieu's ideas about law, government, and the separation of powers, and became hugely influential across Europe. The fact that it was printed in multiple cities, like Geneva and Leiden, in the same year shows how quickly and widely it was being read.

Look closer

  • Why might a book like this be printed in different cities soon after it was written?
  • What does the Latin motto on the title page suggest about the author's intentions?
  • What can the printed details, the printer's name, the date, the city, tell us about publishing in the eighteenth century?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Baron de Montesquieu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barrillot & Fils. Large title in capitals, a decorative emblem with a column and the motto 'EX RECTO DECUS', and handwritten marginal notes in brown ink at top.Book

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The Spirit of the Laws

Montesquieu · 1748

Title page of a book reading 'LETTRES PERSANES, TOME I', with a central decorative floral ornament, and the imprint 'A COLOGNE, Chez Pierre Marteau, Imprimeur-Libraire, près le Collège des Jésuites' and date 'M. DCC. LIV.'Book

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Persian Letters

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De l'esprit des loix (volume III), Amsterdam and Leipzig, 1759Book

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De l'esprit des loix (volume III), Amsterdam and Leipzig, 1759

Montesquieu · 1759

Title page of a French book: 'Montesquieu. Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence', with an introduction and notes by L. Petit de Julleville, huitième édition, published in Paris by Librairie Ch. Delagrave.Book

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Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline

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Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barillot & Fils. Large capitals read DE L'ESPRIT DES LOIX, followed by a subtitle in smaller type, a rule, and TOME PREMIER at the bottom.Document

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De l'Esprit des loix, Volume 1, Title Page

Montesquieu · 1748-1750

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