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141 WASHINGTON, George – MARSHALL, John. The Life of George Washington. London: Printed for Richard Phillips, 1804–07 “the first definitive biography of washington” First English edition, written by the great Chief Justice John Marshall; a particularly appealing copy, elegantly bound. The work was originally published in Philadelphia in the same years in octavo only, this English edition was issued in both octavo and the present quarto and is often preferred as containing five further plates. “Washington’s long and detailed will left his public and private papers to his favourite nephew, Associate Justice Bushrod Washington. Bushrod, in turn, convinced John Marshall to collaborate on writing the first definitive biography of Washington. A year after Washington’s death, Tobias Lear, Washington’s longtime private secretary, sent the first of five trunks of Washington’s personal and public papers, which Marshall and Bushrod Washington began converting into a monumental five-volume Life of George Washington . It was published from 1804 to 1807 and, until the Civil War, remained the definitive history of eighteenth-century America, including the history of the American Revolution, the evolution of American government and the Constitution, and the life of Washington as a military and political leader” (Unger). 5 volumes, quarto (265 × 205 mm). Contemporary tree calf, smooth spines decorated in gilt with twin green morocco labels, speckled edges. With 3 frontispieces (portrait of Washington by Fittler after Stuart, view of Mount Vernon by Milton after George Isham Parkyns, view of Washington DC in 1800 by Heath after Parkyns), 12 folding maps, vignette at end of vol. III by Cooke after Parkyns; with the publisher’s advertisements at the end of vols. I and V and their notice in vol. II. Near contemporary armorial bookplates of Richard Dobson. Expert restoration to joints, extremities, and some labels. Offsetting from frontispieces, scattered foxing to maps, general toning of letterpress. A very attractive, wide-margined set. ¶ Howes M317 (“best edition”); Sabin 44788 (“this indispensable work”). Harlow Giles Unger, John Marshall: The Chief Justice Who Saved The Nation , 2014. £7,250 [122506]
142 WILHELM II – MAIRET, Philippe. Aristocracy and the Meaning of Class Rule. London: The C. W. Daniel Company, 1931 the kaiser sees red First edition, first impression, extensively and furiously annotated by Kaiser Wilhelm II in English, together with an autograph postcard signed from the Kaiser to the British politician Philip Morrell, who presented the book. The postcard, sent from the Kaiser’s exile in the Dutch town of Doorn in 1931, reads “According to your wish expressed in your kind letter I studied the book ‘Aristocracy’ which treats about everything else except Aristocracy. The author furnishes his readers with a striking example of what may become of man when he eliminates God, Saviour, Bible, Faith and Belief from his life and claps his immortal soul ‘under hatches’”. Also included is an autograph letter signed to Philip from Count Goddard Bentinck (the cousin of his wife, the society hostess Lady Ottoline Morrell) returning the book; “His Majesty has written many annotations in it, which I am sure will interest you”. The Kaiser’s annotations in the book reveal his exasperation with the author; he writes several hundred words at the end of chapter 3. When the author talks about natural rulers and what makes them such, the Kaiser’s comments in the margins include: “nonsense!”, “because they feel it a Heaven imposed task!”, “prescribed by the Christian religion!”, “based upon the responsibility to Heaven”. Where Mairet hopes that “Democracy will be saved”, the Kaiser wishes instead: “May it go to hell where it came from.” His final comment at the foot of the last page is: “This book is unmitigated, atheistic, spiritual Bolshevism”.
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