‎RENAUDOT, T. (ED.)‎
‎Recueil général des questions traictées es Conférences du Bureau d'Adresse, sur toutes sortes de matières; par les plus beaux esprits de ce temps.‎

‎A Paris, Chez la veuve G. Loyson, 1655-1656. 5 volumes. (16), 840 (misnumbered 838) pp.; (8), 840 (misnumbered 868), (8, misbound) pp.; (4), 904, (6) pp.; (10), 920 pp.; (8), 478 pp. 8vo. Contemporary calf, spines richly gilt with raised bands and gilt lettering, slightly worn. Brunet, iv, 1173; Sgard, Dictionnaire des Journaux, i, pp. 238-240. The original editions are very rare, and poorly represented even in major collections. Collection of 345 essays concerning a wide range of subjects, edited by Theophraste Renaudot and his sons Isaac and Eusèbe. Théophraste Renaudot (1586-1653), founder of French journalism and of various institutions for social betterment. Touched by the hordes of paupers who infested Paris after the wars of religion, he opened the first employment agency. In 1631 he established what is generally regarded as the first French newspaper, the Gazette, later called Gazette de France, which appeared weekly up to 1914. Both Louis XII and Richelieu, realizing the power exerted by the press upon public opinion, contributed to the Gazette, and Richelieu granted Renaudot a news monopoly. He founded, in anticipation of the Academy of Sciences, a learned society, whose purpose was to give a weekly lecture, followed by a symposium, on any subject other than theology and politics. The conferences were open to all who bothered to come and they were conducted in French, the topic of each conference was decided by the participants. To allow maximum freedom of speech and expression the names of the contributors were not given in the printed texts. It is known that many of the leading philosophers took part in these conferences: Gassendi, Descartes, Campanella, Mersenne and both father and son Pascal are only a few of those believed to have participated.Topics dealt with are among others "The movement or immobility of the earth" (a highly controversial subject), perpetual motion, a variety of medical topics, a large number of philosophical topics, and also social issues were discussed: S'il est meilleur à un Etat d'avoir des Esclaves? - De la mémoire artificielle - Du règlement des pauvres - De la cabbale - Des comètes - De la Methode (de Descartes) - De la coustume - De l'imagination, etc. etc..After the death of his protector, Richelieu, all Renaudot's 'innocent inventions', with the exception of his newspaper, were suppressed by the Parlement of Paris, but they exerted a lasting influence upon the institutional development of France. - On all titles ownership's entry of Abraham Girard, dated 1658. Some occasional spotting. Volume 2 without a publisher's name. ‎

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