Letter Addressed to the Addressers, on the Late Proclamation.
London: Printed for H. D. Symonds, and Thomas Clio Rickman, 1792 Stock Code: 144918
Early edition, one of a few published in 1792; Howes places an alternative edition of 40 pages to be the true first. This copy entirely uncut and in the original sewn sheets as issued, and rare thus.
Paine's letter is a defence of his Rights of Man, published the previous year, and then under sustained attack from the British establishment - Paine is here responding to the royal proclamation of 21 May 1791 against seditious acts, in part directed against the Rights of Man. "This attack on the evils of English government is practically a third part of his Rights of Man" (Howes). Paine retains his fiery rhetoric despite the attempts at censorship - "Paine here makes a brazen call for a revolution in England and outlines a plan for calling together a convention for the purpose of reviewing the whole mass of English laws and retaining all worthy ones, while letting the rest drop" (Gimbel). Both Symonds and Rickman were prosecuted for publishing the work.
Description
Octavo (227 x 148 mm mm), 80 pp. Sewn and uncut, as issued.
Condition
Minor peripheral creasing and nicking, very light patches of discolouration to title. An excellent copy.
Bibliography
ESTC T5837; Gimbel Thomas Paine Catalogue 76; Howes P28.
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