Autumn 2020 Catalogue

7 American Heroes & Leaders Autumn 2020 “The Clearest Of All Expositions Of The Basic Principles Of Democracy” (PMM) 5. PAINE, Thomas. Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution. Second Edition. BOUND WITH: Rights of Man. Part the Second. Combining Principle and Practice. Third Edition. London, 1791, 1792. Octavo, recently bound in 18th-century marbled calf gilt, custom clamshell box. $25,000. Click for more info Scarce early editions of both parts of Paine’s revolutionary classic Rights of Man, each published within days of the extremely rare first editions: the second edition, first issue of Part I, bound together with the third edition of Part II. Rights of Man is “the textbook of radical thought and the clearest of all expositions of the basic principles of democracy” (PMM 241). “ Rights of Man was one of the most ardent and clear defenses of human rights, liberty and equality in any language” (Fruchtman, 225). The first edition, first issue of Part I (with Johnson’s title page imprint) is historically so rare that it has been considered virtually unacquirable. The first edition, second issue, with Johnson’s text sheets and Jordan’s title page and preface, is exceptionally rare. This stated second edition, issued by Jordan only three days later, is one of the earliest obtainable . First issue, variant a (Gimbel-Paine, 88). Stated third edition of Part the Second . Both parts with half titles. Part II bound without two rear leaves of publisher’s advertisements. Each half title with early owner signature of “Tho. Henry Jun.” Text very fresh with light cleaning to only the front blank and half title and title page to each part; tiny gutter-edge pinholes from original stitching. Beautifully rebound to period style in contemporary marbled calf.