Beschreibung:

TOLSTOY, Leo (1828-1910). I. Pis’mo k Kitaitsu. (Oktabria 1906 g.) II. Kitaiskaia mudrost’. Mysli kitaiskikh myslitelei, sobrannyia L. N Tolstym [I. Letter to a Chinese. (October 1906). II. Chinese Wisdom. Thoughts of Chinese thinkers, collected by L. N. Tolstoy]. Moscow, “Posrednika”, 1907. [with:] TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich. Molitva. Izdanie knigoizdatel'stva Posrednik, 610. [Prayer]. Moscow: A. Pechkovsky, P. Bulanzhe i ko., 1906. I: First edition in the original Russian, rare, of Tolstoy’s open letter to the Malaysian-Chinese intellectual Gu Hongming, conveying Tolstoy’s thoughts on the transition which China, like Russia, was experiencing from agricultural despotism to industrial democracy. Tolstoy fears the ultimate trajectory of such changes, and propounds instead a return to a simple agrarian mode of life inspired by Confucian philosophy. This gives way to an account of the thought of Confucius and Lao-tse, founder of Taosim. The work first appeared in German in the Neue Freie Presse in November 1906, then immediately in French, and Russian. Very rare: Worldcat records no copy, nor do ABPC/RBH. II: First edition. ‘In 1884 Tolstoy was instrumental in establishing a publishing house, Posrednik (Intermediary). Its goal was to spread to all comers of the Russian Empire wholesome literature, including folk tales and legends for moral upliftment, social betterment, and the sharing of love. Tolstoy wrote many of them’ (K.C. Wenzer, 1997). Rare. ABPC/RBH show no record. I: Octavo (210 x 142mm). first few pages a little soiled. Original printed wrappers, portrait of Tolstoy on upper wrapper (some soiling, edges frayed, spine defective). Provenance: Fedor Kavenskii (inscription). II: Octavo (202 x 127mm) (lightly soiled, one or two creases, book block partly detached from spine.) Original wrappers (worn, soiled).