Variétés Historiques et Littéraires (07/10) Recueil de pièces volantes rares et curieuses en prose et en vers

This volume gathers a handful of obscure 17th‑century pamphlets, both in prose and verse, that once fluttered through the streets of Paris and Lyon. Curated and annotated by the diligent scholar Edouard Fournier, each piece offers a glimpse of the literary tastes and curiosities that animated early modern France.

The centerpiece is a flamboyant forecast penned in 1620 by the mathematician known as the sieur de la Bourdanière. Written in a lively, almost theatrical style, it links the motions of Saturn, Mercury and other planets to everything from the health of the poor to the fortunes of livestock. Listeners will hear the same mixture of earnest warning and tongue‑in‑cheek humor that made such almanacs both popular and feared.

Beyond the predictions, the collection includes short poems, satirical letters, and other fleeting texts that reveal how ordinary people imagined the world around them. For anyone fascinated by the blend of science, superstition and literary flair that characterized the era, these rare documents come alive in a vivid, listenable form.