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64 LAW, John. Œuvres. Contenant les principes sur le numéraire, le commerce, le crédit et les banques. Avec des notes. Paris: Buisson, 1790 uncut in contemporary wrappers First collected edition of the works of the French finance minister John Law, whose financial schemes led to the Mississippi Bubble and economic collapse during regency France. Apart from Money and Trade Considered , all the works in the collection, including two Mémoires sur les Banques and a number of letters, were previously unpublished. The publication of the collection during the French Revolution reflected a revived interest in solutions to deficit financing, and a re-appraisal of the previously discredited Law and his grand schemes of long-term government finance. The editor Gabriel- Étienne de Sénovert “made a point of highlighting its current relevance. ‘Credit’, he wrote at the beginning of his introduction to the edition, citing [Sir James] Steuart for corroboration, ‘plays so considerable a role in the political economy of modern nations, and is connected so intimately to their prosperity, and even to their existence, that it could be said that the science of government is nothing but the science of credit itself’. Sénovert’s assessment of Law was, however, judiciously neutral. As he went on to emphasise, both in the rest of his introduction and in the notes that he added to Law’s own works, it was difficult to decide whether Law’s system was a real example or a dreadful warning” (Sonenscher, pp. 314–15). The revolutionary government’s solution to the economic situation, issuing the assignats backed by land and confiscated property, was not dissimilar to Law’s solution of notes tied to French land in North America; both rapidly lost value and further destabilized France’s economy. Octavo. Uncut in contemporary marbled paper wrappers, paper spine label lettered in manuscript. Occasional light spotting. A remarkably well- preserved copy. ¶ Goldsmiths’ 14361; Kress B.1919. Michael Sonenscher, Sans-Culottes: An Eighteenth-Century Emblem in the French Revolution , 2008. £3,750 [143822]
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continuing relevance may be estimated from a study of the places and dates at which it has been translated or reprinted – London, 1648, London, 1689, Paris, 1789, Berlin, 1848” (ibid.). The book is in four parts: whether a subject is bound to obey, whether they can resist a prince, under what circumstances they may do so, and whether foreign powers can support an uprising. Two other works are also bound in the volume: i) ANON. Commonefactio de iureconsulti fine, et in disidiis dogmatum ecclesiasticorum officio . Neustadt: Matthaeus Harnisch, 1590.First edition. A Lutheran work on the duty of the jurist. ii) FURIÓ CERIOL, Fadrique. Idea Consiliarii; hoc est, De conciliis et consiliariis principum eorumque qualitatibus, virtute ac electionibus libellus . Frankfurt: Joannes Spies, 1588. An early Latin edition of El concejo y consejeros del príncipe , first published in Spanish in Antwerp in 1559. Borrowing heavily from Machiavelli, Furió Ceriol’s work advises counsellors to princes on proper conduct, with a realist approach, ensuring that moral probity should not interfere with professional duties. Princes are likewise advised to take great care in their choice of counsellors, and reminded their main interest is that of the state and its people. The work was printed across Europe in Italian, English, and Polish editions, alongside Latin editions from 1560 onwards. 3 works in 1 volume, octavo (155 × 99 mm). Contemporary blind-stamped pigskin, spine lettered in manuscript, front cover with central depiction of the birth of Christ, the rear with the baptism. Complete with terminal blank. Neat inscription to rear pastedown “Augusta A° 1590”. Front free endpaper neatly excised, faint damp stain to front pastedown and at head of contents, a very good copy. ¶ ESTC S108232; Printing and the Mind of Man 94b. £8,500 [157904]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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