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A seminal work in statistics Second, enlarged edition of this pioneering work in the history of statistics (first published as a single volume in 1741), together with the first edition of the posthumously published supplementary third volume. “He sought to demonstrate through a careful examination of empirical data, that the laws governing humanity were as formal and undeniable as those of empirical data. Thus, three major currents of thought of 18th century Europe were combined in the minister’s work: Lutheran faith coloured by pietism, Anglo-Dutch physio-theology born of Newtonian philosophy and demographic statistics” (Heyde & Seneta, p. 74. Süssmilch “ranks among the greatest figures in the history of statistics . . . Süssmilch ascertained the variations in mortality rates with respect to sex, age, place of residence (urban or rural) and season and constructed a mortality table which, despite its methodological shortcomings, was used by German insurance companies until the middle of the nineteenth century. He also studied the problem of the increase of population and attempted to compute world population figures” ( Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences ). This considerably expanded second edition is offered with the supplementary third volume, edited by Süssmilch’s son-in-law Christian Jacob Baumann, and first issued with the fourth edition of 1775. The bindings, whilst not quite uniform, share the same spine decoration and have clearly been together for a long time. 3 volumes, octavo (182 × 111 mm). Contemporary near-uniform sprinkled sheep, spines ruled and decorated gilt in compartments, morocco labels, sprinkled edges. Numerous tables in text and 1 folding table in vol. II. Ownership signature “Schlüter” to front free endpapers of the first two vols., library stamp of the Stadtarchiv Rathenow to titles. Spine ends worn, foot of volume I wormed, numbering piece to vol. II missing, some surface wear and abrasions. Blue paste paper endpapers to vols. I & II of different patterns, marbled endpapers to vol. III; internally very good. ¶ Humpert 12169; Kress 5987. See Westergaard, Contributions to the History of Statistics , p. 70ff. C. C. Heyde & Seneta, Statisticians of the Centuries , Springer, 2001. £1,750 [144932]
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153 SWING RIOTS. The Life and History of Swing, the Kent Rick-burner. London: R. Carlile, 1830 First edition of this pamphlet published in support of the 1830 Swing Riots, in which agricultural labourers destroyed threshing machines and workhouses across southern England and East Anglia. The pamphlet purports to be the autobiography of Captain Swing, like General Ludd a fictitious figurehead of the movement, whose name was appended to many threatening letters in the riots. The publisher, Richard Carlile, issued numerous publications in favour of the riots, including in his journal The Prompter . In January 1831 he appeared at the Old Bailey on charges of seditious libel which resulted in a sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a large fine, which he refused to pay, thereby extending his sentence by a further six months. Octavo, pp. 24. Uncut in recent marbled wrappers. Woodcut title vignette. Occasional peripheral nicking, yet an excellent, clean copy. ¶ Goldsmiths’ 26453. £450 [139087]
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Peter Harrington
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