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but entertaining, with rogue lawyers, apothecaries, and astrologers all exposed. “In this work Head talks quite seriously about the art of wheedling as a science; he carefully defines both the personal qualities that wheedles must cultivate and the rules they must follow to achieve success. In order to educate themselves wheedles must be learned both through travel and languages, reserved, and masters of dissimulation . . . they must use flattery and false friendship, and display feigned patience, humility, civility, affability, and plausibility” (Weber, p. 26). Wheedles are portrayed, consequently, not merely as chancers or petty criminals, but people with a strong understanding of human nature and its weaknesses, and recognize how to present themselves to gain confidence and exploit these weaknesses – “Wheedles, in short, must live in a world of continual disguise in which the self can never reveal itself to a hostile and dangerous world” (ibid.).
the volume was bought from the Cambridge booksellers Deighton Bell in Cambridge, and was from the library of Cambridge Rousseau scholar Ralph Alexander Leigh. Joints neatly repaired with spine relaid, slight remaining wear round extremities and patches of light insect abrasion to cloth, endpapers foxed and contents toned, minor pencil marginalia. A good copy. ¶ Cody & Ostrem B–6. £4,750 [155151] 81 HEAD, Richard. Proteus Redivivus: or the Art of Wheedling, or insinuation, obtain’d by general conversation . . . London: printed by W. D[owning], 1675 17TH-CENTURY CON-ARTISTRY First edition of this exposition of Restoration wheedles (smooth-talkers and con-artists) and their methods of fraud and deception, taking the form of a guide to budding wheedles. The book’s tone is cynical
Octavo (168 × 108 mm). Contemporary sheep, rebacked in calf with red label. Front pastedown with attractive 19th- century armorial bookplate and shelf label of Edward Cane, Member of the Royal Irish Academy and Irish Archaeological Society, who amassed a select library. Joints rubbed, tips a little worn, some light browning to contents, slight damping to extremities of early leaves, loss to bottom forecorner of B1 with minor loss to text and to E3 with more substantial loss, a very good copy. ¶ ESTC R13684; Wing H1272. Harold Weber, “Rakes, Rogues, and the Empire of Misrule”, in Huntington Library Quarterly , vol. 47, no. 1, 1984, pp. 13–32. £4,750 [154031]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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