BUFFON COMTE DE: (1707-1788) Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. French Naturalist and Mathematician. Widely regarded as the father of natural history in the 18^th century, being one of the first to recognize ecological succession and animal evolution, although forced to recant his theories because they contradicted the Biblical narrative. Buffon was also at the head of the "Jardin du Roi", now called the "Jardin des plantes". A rare A.L.S., `Leclerc de Buffon´, signed twice, one page, 8vo, n.p., 12<sup>th</sup> & 19<sup>th</sup> March 1761, to Mr. Humbert, in French. The letter being a receipt of the payments he receives, which were due to him on different expiration dates, stating in part `J´ai reçu de mr. Humbert en trois billets.. la somme de sept mil sincent livres, tant pour le payement de 5000 l. échues au mois d´octobre dernier que a compte de celui de trois mille livres qui echoit au présent mois de mars pour les bois que je luy ai vendu…´ (Translation: `I received from Mr. Humbert... the sum of seven thousand five hundred pounds, both for the payment of 5000 l. due in the last month of October which on account for the three thousand pounds which payment expires in the present month of March, for the woods that I sold to him..´) The letter has been neatly inlaid. About G to VG

 

Provenance: From the celebrated collection of Robert de Flers (1872-1927) French playwright, opera librettist and journalist. The manuscripts amassed by de Flers were dispersed in 2014 at an auction in Paris conducted by Beaussant Lefevre.