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and abortion (all totally unacceptable to Malthus); and second ‘moral restraint’ – the voluntary limitation of the product of children by the postponement of marriage” ( PMM ). “For today’s readers, living in a post-Malthus era, the world’s population problems are well known and serious, but no longer sensational. It is difficult therefore to appreciate the radical and controversial impact made by the Essay at the time of publication. It challenged the conventional notion that population growth is an unmixed blessing. It discussed prostitution, contraception, and other sexual matters. And it gave vivid descriptions of the horrendous consequences of overpopulation and of the brutal means by which populations are checked” ( ODNB ). Despite its unpopularity with liberal critics, Malthus’s principle of population became accepted as a central tenet of classical political economy and Charles Darwin acknowledged Malthus’s influence in the development of his theory of natural selection.
Octavo (211 × 130 mm). Contemporary speckled half calf, smooth spine with red morocco label and double gilt fillets, marbled boards, blue sprinkled edges. Housed in a custom red half morocco book-form box. Printed on blue toned stock, errata on A8v, Q8 cancelled. Neat contemporary inscription to title page and several early annotations to text (see above). Extremities worn and boards rubbed, joints cracked but firm, with some flaking and loss at head, spine label and gilt remaining particularly attractive and bright, occasional minor foxing, gatherings B and C standing proud, small stains to margins of pp. 33 and 44–5. Overall in very good condition. ¶ Carpenter XXXII (1); Einaudi 3667; Garrison-Morton 1693; Goldsmiths’ 17268; Kress B.3693; McCulloch, pp. 259–60; Norman 1431; Printing and the Mind of Man 251. £195,000 [149793]
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Peter Harrington
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