Political Disquisitions: Or, An Enquiry into public Errors, Defects, and Abuses. Illustrated by, and established upon Facts and Remarks extracted from a Variety of Authors, ancient and modern. Calculated To draw the timely Attention of Government and People to a due Consideration of the Necessity, and the Means, of Reforming those Errors, Defects, and Abuses; of Restoring the Constitution, and Saving the State. Volumes II and III [Burgh, James] Politics,Pre-1850 imprints

[Burgh, James]. Political Disquisitions: Or, An Enquiry into public Errors, Defects, and Abuses. Illustrated by, and established upon Facts and Remarks extracted from a Variety of Authors, ancient and modern. Calculated To draw the timely Attention of Government and People to a due Consideration of the Necessity, and the Means, of Reforming those Errors, Defects, and Abuses; of Restoring the Constitution, and Saving the State. Volumes II and III. London: Printed for Edward and Charles Dilly, 1774, 1775. Hardback, Good. Contemporary full calf, bumped to corners, rubbed to edges and boards. Spine in six panels with five raised bands, gilt decoration and lettering just about visible. Gilt chain frame to upper and lower boards. Bindings strong. Edges of the blocks stained red. vii,[7],477; [16],460,[53]pp. The contents page of Vol. III is loose from the block, creased and damaged to the edges; otherwise all the contents complete, clean and bright with occasional light tanning/foxing spots. The set comprises Volume II and III of the scarce first edition of this seminal work of republicanism, a demonstration of the dangers of monarchical tyranny. James Burgh (1714 1775) was a British Whig politician whose book Political Disquisitions set out an early case for free speech and universal suffrage: in it, he writes, "All lawful authority, legislative, and executive, originates from the people." He has been judged "one of England's foremost propagandists for radical reform". Caroline Robbins judged it "perhaps the most important political treatise which appeared in England in the first half of the reign of George III". The book also had a profound influence of the Founding Fathers; John Adams praised Political Disquisitions as a work which "ought to be in the hands of every American". In the advertisement to Vol. III, the author states that he "proposed to lay before the public more than three volumes" but that with his "health daily breaking" he was unable to proceed further; he died in the same year. RightWayUp Books aims to provide accurate and detailed descriptions. All images are of the actual book for sale - no stock images are ever used. Thank you for looking at this listing.