12mo. [12], 152pp. Without initial two blank leaves. Contemporary blind-tooled mottled calf. Lightly rubbed and marked, some loss to head of spine. Without pastedowns, later armorial bookplate of John Jones of Llanarth Court, Monmouthshire to verso of upper board, small worm-track to foot of text-block, touching text in places.

The second English edition, translated by poet John Glanvill (1663/4-1735), of Fontenelle's popular cosmographical discourse; an early and significant Enlightenment work, and the first example in French of a learned work directed at an educated but non-specialised public. First published in 1686, the book was promptly translated to numerous languages with the first edition in English appearing in 1687.