New Acquisitions Spring 2022 – 40 – Bauman Rare Books “The Clearest Of All Expositions Of The Basic Principles Of Democracy” (PMM) 44. PAINE, Thomas. Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution. Fourth Edition. BOUNDWITH: Rights of Man. Part the Second. Combining Principle and Practice. The Second Edition. London, 1791, 1792. Octavo, 19th-century three-quarter calf. $12,500. Rare fourth edition of Part I and second edition of Part II of Rights of Man, each published shortly after the first editions by J.S. Jordan, who published Part I after the original edition was suppressed and was arrested for publishing Part II. One of Paine’s most important, influential, and bestselling works, Rights of Man resulted in the prosecution in England of Paine, his publishers, and booksellers, forcing Paine to flee to France. Hoping Rights of Man “would do for England what his Common Sense had done for America,” Paine answered Burke’s attack on the French Revolution with his “celebrated answer, The Rights of Man” (Gimbel-Yale 59). It contains “the clearest of all expositions of the basic principles of democracy” (PMM 241). This is “one of the most ardent and clear defenses of human rights, liberty and equality in any language… Rights of free speech, opinion, conscience, association (in America those rights became embodied in the first amendment to the Constitution in the same year the first part of the Rights of Man appeared) were all part of the natural rights which a properly constituted government must protect.” Paine then followed with “his most important work to date: Part Two of the Rights of Man” (Fruchtman, 222-249). Rights of Man (Part I) with “Fourth Edition” stated on title page: issued very soon after the first edition: second issue, second full paragraph onpage 10with eight lines rather than nine (Gimbel-Paine, 89). With dedication to George Washington. Part the Second with “The Second Edition” stated on title page, mixed issue containing the same uncorrected catchword “Anothe” (p. vii), and press figure 105-3, as in the first edition, but “CHAP. IV” corrected from “CAAP. IV” on page 59. With dedication to M. de La Fayette dated “London, Feb. 9, 1792.” Part the Second bound with rarely found half title, and with rarely found advertisement leaf bound between the two parts. Rights of Man: ESTC T5866. Part the Second: ESTC T5881. Text clean and fine, joints and corners lightly rubbed, binding sound. A handsome copy. “A body of men, holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by any body.”
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