THE 1810 FIRST EDITION OF HAMILTON'S COLLECTED WORKS, INCLUDING THE THIRD EDITION OF THE FEDERALIST: "THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IN POLITICAL SCIENCE THAT HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN IN THE UNITED STATES"

HAMILTON, Alexander. The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Comprising His Most Important Official Reports; an Improved Edition of the Federalist, On the New Constitution, Written in 1788; and Pacificus, on the Proclamation of Neutrality, Written in 1793. New York: Published by Williams and Whiting, 1810. Three volumes. Octavo, contemporary full brown tree sheep rebacked in calf-gilt, red and black morocco spine labels, original plain endpapers preserved. $15,000.

First edition of Hamilton's collected works, including the third edition of the Federalist Papers, "the most influential American political work" (Streeter II: 1049), in beautiful contemporary tree calf boards.

This printing of the Federalist, "in fact, Vols. II and III of Hamilton's works," was preceded only by the rare 1787 first edition, 1799 reissue, and 1802 second edition (Sabin 23982). "The Federalist is the most important work in political science that has ever been written, or is likely ever to be written, in the United States. It is, indeed, the one product of the American mind that is rightly counted among the classics of political theory. This work has always commanded widespread respect as the first and still most authoritative commentary on the Constitution of the United States" (Rossiter, The Federalist Papers). "The true principles of a republican form of government are here unfolded with great clearness and simplicity. The essays written by Hamilton exhibit a richness, elegance and force" (Church 1230). "The eighty-five essays, under the pseudonym Publius, were designed as political propaganda, not as a treatise of political philosophy. In spite of this The Federalist survives as one of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government" (PMM 234).

This edition includes some materials not found in the subsequent seven-volume edition of Hamilton's collected works, edited by his son and printed in 1850 (Sabin 29987). Volume I contains the official reports written by Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury ("Report on Public Credit," "Report on a National Bank," "On the Constitutionality of a National Bank," "Report on the Subject of Manufactures," "Report on the Establishment of a Mint"); Volumes II and III contain The Federalist, and each have a second dated title page reading "The Federalist… a New Edition… in Two Volumes" (presumably so that those two volumes could easily be sold separately). With frontispiece portraits of Hamilton, Jay and Madison. Later portrait of Hamilton neatly affixed to Volume I pastedown. Bibliotheca Hamiltoniana 22. Shaw & Shoemaker 20274. Sabin 23982.

Light expert cleaning to frontispieces and title pages, otherwise text generally clean with only occasional mild foxing, marginal tear to pages 339-40 in Volume III not affecting text. Handsome tree calf boards expertly restored. An attractive set.