First edition of this counterblast to Bernard Mandeville, rejecting Mandeville’s provocative idea that private vice leads to public good, and his proposal for legal prostitution. Blewitt’s treatise is firstly against the Fable of the Bees , in which Mandeville argued private greed and vice benefit the public as a whole. The Fable was first published in book-form in 1714 but had a resurgence in the mid-1720s with enlarged second, third, and fourth editions published in 1723, 1724 and 1725 respectively. Secondly Blewitt’s book counters the even more controversial A Modest Defence of Publick Stews , generally attributed to Mandeville, which was published in 1724 (with a second edition in 1725), and defended the establishment of state-run, destigmatized brothels. The book was part of a larger corpus of anti-Mandeville literature published in the 1720s, which in itself is proof Mandeville’s ideas were having a wide influence, but this has been declared to be “probably the ablest and most comprehensive attack on Mandeville’s writings by one of his contemporaries” (Primer, p. 194). Blewitt’s “intention was to expose Mandeville’s writings as generally immoral and atheistic. Mandeville’s pages, he finds, are full of faulty reasoning with many non sequiturs, misquotations, misinformation, and unacknowledged borrowing from other authors, most notably Pierre Bayle. Blewitt’s critical method typically involves repeating or paraphrasing a passage in the Fable – about Vanini, say, or sir Paul Rycaut, or the stews – and then delivering a detailed rebuttal that concludes with what he hoped would be regarded as withering sarcasm or devastating satire” (Primer, p. 112). Mandeville did have supporters however – the following year a riposte to Blewitt’s treatise entitled “The True Meaning of The Fable of the Bees” appeared, arguing that Blewitt missed the point, and perhaps he did, taking Mandeville too literally, and falling for his deliberately provocative rhetoric. Octavo (192 × 119 mm). Contemporary speckled calf, red morocco label to spine. Contemporary notation of author on the title page. Very light rubbing at extremities with tiny chip at head, tear to pp. 23/24 repaired, minor chips at a couple of page extremities, contents otherwise clean and crisp. A very good copy. ¶ ESTC T77709. Irwin Primer, Prostitution and its Discontents in Early Georgian England , Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. £975 [134421]
Not in Wing (but see G491B–494G for a nearly complete annual series of a bill of this title from 1679–1693). Goldsmiths’ has three of these; 1682, 1683, 1684. Our copy therefore appears to be possibly the first and certainly the earliest recorded in an annual series of broadsides that continued into the 18th century. II: Londons [sic] Lord Have Mercy Upon Us. A true relation of seven modern plagues, or visitations in London, with the number of those that were buried of all diseases; viz. The first in the year of the Queen Elizabeth, Anno 1592. The second in the year 1603 the third in (that never to be forgotten year) 1625. The fourth in Anno 1630. The fift in the year 1636. The sixt in the year 1637. and 1638. The seventh this present year, 1665. London, Francis Coles, Thomas Vere, and John Wright, [1665]. Broadside (434 × 325 mm), folded; drop-head title; text partly in seven columns. The main text is a poem in two columns under a large central woodcut with London in the background showing death with hourglass and arrow and coffins being drawn by horse and cart. With black memento mori border showing sculls, skeletons and spades. A magnificent illustrated woodcut, folded to fit into the quarto volume, in very fine condition. The text prints the mortality statistics for the years mentioned in the title i.e. 1593, 1603, 1625, 1630, 1636, 1637, 1638, 1665. The figures stop at 27 June 1664 though the weekly dates continue in a column down to 5 September without any figures against them. This suggests that the broadside was printed between 27 June and 4 July. Two short columns contain specific remedies to ward off the plague; for example “A Possett to remove the Plague from the Heart.” In the central part of the broadside, surrounded by the mortality statistics is the large woodcut and a poem of 66 lines. Wing L2937 L, LGH, LU, HH. There are three other issues [London, 1665?] (L only); [London], 1665 (MIU only) and Edinburgh, Society of Stationers, 1665 (EN only). Goldsmiths’ 1788; not in Kress. III: [DRAKE, Roger.] Sacred Chronologie, drawn by Scripture evidence along that vast body of time, (containing the space of almost four thousand years) From the creation of the world, to the passion of our blessed saviour. By the help of which alone, sundry difficult places of scripture are unfolded: and the meanest capacity may improve that holy record with abundance of delight and profit: being enabled thereby to refer each several Historie and material passage therein contained to its proper time and date. By R.D. M.D. London, printed by James and Joseph Moxon, for Stephen Bowtell, at the Sign of the Bible in Popes-head-Alley, 1648. Quarto, pp. [44], [A2], B–T4, V2. Part numbered, part foliated: last page numbered ‘74’. A fine, wide-margined copy. ESTC R206239. Small quarto (222 × 172 mm). Bound with 3 other items (see above) in late 18th-century continental half parchment binding with marbled boards, labelled “Pot Pourri” and numbered in black “2”. Folding table at rear, titled “A general Bill for this present year ending the 19th of December 1665 . . . ”. Title page text set within a thick black woodcut border decorated with memento mori motifs, including a skull-and- crossbones crowned with a winged hourglass under a banner lettered “Memento mori”, plus bones, picks and spades, and full skeletons, and three coats of arms above the imprint; woodcut headpieces, initials; arms of the Parish Clerk’s Company running throughout. Spine ends lightly rubbed, front joint largely cracked but board still holding firmly; blank upper margin of title a little creased, very occasional light spotting or rust marks; an excellent copy, with several uncut edges. ¶ Garrison- Morton 5119 (27th issue); Goldsmiths’ 1761 (27th); Kress 1160 (27th); Norman 1386 (27th); Wing G–1598A (issue not differentiated). £37,500 [148683] 21 BLEWITT, George. An Enquiry Whether A general Practice of Virtue tends to the Wealth or Poverty, Benefit or Disadvantage of a People? London: Printed for R. Wilkin, 1725
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Peter Harrington
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