ROUSSEAU, Jean Jacques (1712- 1778) Principes du droit politique. [Half-title:] Du contract social. Amsterdam, Marc Michel Rey 1762. [IV],VIII,323,[1 publ. cat.]p. With vignette (Justice seated) on title sd. B.Bolomey inv. and C.Boily sculp. Nineteenth-century half calf, gilt back with red and orange label, marbled sides, corners little worn. Copy with remarkably ample margins (218 x 134 mm). € 6500

First edition, second issue (known as 'type B'), of Rousseau's greatest work. It is 'the first great emotional plea for the equality of all men in the state ... a crucial document of egalitarian government'.
The printing history of this book has been amply set out by Rousseau's bibliographers T.Dufour and R.A.Leigh at hand of the correspondence between Rousseau and his Amsterdam publisher Rey. On 6 January 1762 Rousseau suggested to Rey to use for this his new book a changed version of the vignette that was used before for the Discours sur l'inégalité. Rey commissioned two vignettes: one showing Justice standing with helm and balance, and one showing Justice seated with cap. Rey chose the former, but in a letter of 28 February Rousseau disapproved of this choice because he finds the result messy. When Rey received this letter he apparently had already started the printing. Yet he decided to meet Rousseau's wishes and made a new title for which he used the vignette with Justice seated. This vignette however was somewhat bigger and Rey decided to move the first three lines of the title ('Du contract social') to the half title. In the mean time he received a new letter in which Rousseau asks for reasons of discretion to replace a note on civil marriage on pages 321 and 322 by another note, a few days later followed by another letter in which he orders to suppress this note as well. Rey again decided to meet Rousseau's wishes and printed again pages 321-324. The suppression of the note meant that page 324 would become blank, and Rey decided to use it for a catalogue of his books. Apparently when these changes were made copies had either already left the printing office or were overlooked. Only few copies of the first issue (known as 'type A') have survived.
*Dufour 133. R.A.Leigh, Unsolved problems in the bibliography of J.J.Rousseau, p.21-22. Printing and the mind of man 207. En français dans le texte 162.