Pascal (1623-1662) had intended to write a full-scale defense of the Christian religion against contemporary forms of free-thought, and in particular against Descarte's view of the supremacy of human reason. Against this, Pascal set the inability of reason to deal with the ultimate metaphysical problems, and evolved his own theory of intuition. His early death prevented completion of the work. Fragments were published posthumously as Pensees in 1670, and have remained a vital part of religious and philosophical literature to this day. The publisher of this 1803 edition, Renouard of Paris, saw his republication of Pascal as a continuation of the tradition of reissued classics from the great fifteenth century printers. Note how his printer's mark artfully combines the anchor of Aldus, the entwined serpents of Froben, and the winged helmet of Sebastien Gryph.

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