"THE BEST OF ALL YOUR BOOKS" (CARLYLE): FIRST EDITION OF EMERSON'S CONDUCT OF LIFE

EMERSON, Ralph Waldo. The Conduct of Life. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1860. Octavo, original blind-stamped cloth. $750.

First edition of the work considered by Carlyle and others to be the best of all Emerson’s works.

In Conduct of Life Emerson seeks to reconcile his “earlier belief in complete freedom with the ‘Beautiful Necessity’ of fate. The essays in this volume include ‘Fate,’ ‘Power,’ ‘Wealth,’ ‘Culture,’ ‘Behavior,’ ‘Worship,’ ‘Considerations by the Way,’ ‘Beauty’ and ‘Illusions.’ It is ‘Fate’(or ‘the laws of the world’) that interests Emerson the most, as he tries to balance his belief in the importance of individual freedom with a recognition of there being immutable natural laws that restrict humanity in its actions.” Based on Emerson’s lectures in the 1840s, which were “among the most popular and effective he ever gave” (ANB), Conduct of Life was declared by Carlyle, in a letter to Emerson, to be “the best of all your books” (Correspondence II:275). First printing, variant B, in the "Writings" binding, no priority given for either printing or binding variants. With ads at rear dated December, 1860. Myerson A 26.1.a.

Interior fine, cloth with minor wear to spine ends, gilt quite bright. A lovely copy.