Maillet, B. de. Telliamed ou entretiens d'un philosophe Indien avec un missionaire François sur la diminution de la mer, la formation de la terre, l'origine de l'homme, &c. Mise en ordre par J. A. G(uer). 2 in 1 Bd. Amsterdam, L'Honoré & Fils, 1748. 5 Bll., CXIX (recte LXIX) S., 4 Bll., 208 (recte 200) S.; 1 Bl. Zwischentitel, 231 S., 2 Bll. ('Addition a la page 123' und 'Errata'). Ldr. d. Zt. mit reicher Rückenvergoldung u. Rsch. sowie Deckelfileten, Steh- u. Innenkantenvergoldung, Deckel etwas fleckig, etwas berieben.

Norman 1422 (mit genauer Kollation, dabei: recte irrig, Lagen korrekt); DSB IX, 26; Blackmer 1061 Anm.; Darmstaedter 182 (die 3 letztgenannten alle mit falschen Angaben zum Erscheinungsjahr). - Erste Ausgabe. Posthum ediert, gewidmet Cyrano de Bergerac.Telliamed ist das Anagramm von De Maillet. "Fundamental work, in essence an ultraneptunian theory of the earth, as based largely on his geological field observations made during extensive travels throughout Egypt and other Mediterranean countries. Maillet must have taken full advantage of his fluency in Arabic to gain access to the manuscripts of many ancient Arabic authors, such as al-Khayyami, from whom he may have borrowed the original idea of the diminution of the sea" (DSB). "Written between1692 and 1708, but its ideas were considered so disturbing and dangerous that even though manuscript copies began circulating in the 1720s the work did not appear in print until ten years after the author's death ...  Maillet was thus a forerunner of the uniformitarian geologists of the 19th century, and he anticipated Lamarck as well in his claim that present-day terrestrial life forms had adapted themselves from marine flora and fauna" (Norman). - Anfangs leicht fingerfleckig und mit schwachem Wasserrand, stellenw. mit winzigem Wurmloch im weißen Rand. Besitzvermerk von alter Hand auf freiem Vorsatz.

First edition. - Slight thumbing and waterstaining to first leaves, else fresh. Small worming to outer blank margin in places. Old ownership-inscription to fly-leaf. Bound in contemporary calf with gilt spine, fillet border and doublure, covers somewhat stained, slightly rubbed.