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Law, Literature, and Female Agency: The Second Edition of Guichard's Novelized Legal Manual Guichard, Aug[ustin]-Ch[arles] [1760-1847]. Le Code des Femmes, De Leurs Droits, Privileges, Devoirs et Obligations; Ou Recits et Entretiens Dont la Simple Lecture Leur Apprend, En Peu D'Heures et Sans Nulle Fatigue, Ce Qu'il Leur Importe le Plus de Savoir pour etre en Etat de Deriger Elles-Memes Leurs Affaires, De Stipuler et Defendre Leurs Interets, Dans Toutes les Circonstances de la Vie. Paris: Chez N. Pichard, Libraire-Editeur, 1828. 2 volumes. [vi], ix-xxxi, [1], [v]-viii, 297; [vi], 350 pp. First 4 pp. of author's preface misprinted at end of preliminaries, text complete. Half-title and engraved pictorial frontispiece in each volume. Octavo (6-1/2" x 4-1/4"; 16.5 x 11 cm). Original printed wrappers, publisher's advertisements to rear wrappers, edges untrimmed. Light soiling to exteriors, light edgewear to wrappers, spine ends somewhat worn. Light toning and very light foxing to text, faint dampstaining to corners of a few leaves. A well-preserved set in its original state. $500. * Second and final edition, "considerablement augmentee." Guichard's guide to the laws concerning women under the Bourbon Restoration adopts a deliberately playful style, imitating a contemporary French novel-a device praised by the Journal des Debats in 1823. The subtitle promises that the work's "simple reading" enables women to manage their affairs "in a few hours and without any fatigue," clearly targeting a female readership. This edition differs from the 1823 first edition, which was less explicit about both audience and style and did not bear Guichard's name. The second edition includes a special author's preface and a comprehensive Table Alphabetique des Matieres, reflecting a shift from literary novelty to a practical reference for women of means. It remains a key primary source for studying the intersection of law, literature, and female social agency in early 19th-century France. Guichard was a prolific legal writer, producing both treatises and popular guides covering topics from land and commercial law to municipal policing. The second edition is scarce. OCLC locates seven copies worldwide, two in North America (University of Chicago, University of Kansas). Not in Camus.
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