EDEN, Sir Frederick Morton.

The State of the Poor: or a history of the labouring classes in England, from the Conquest to the present period; in which are particularly considered, their domestic economy, with respect to diet, dress, fuel, and habitation; and the various plans which, from time to time, have been proposed and adopted for the relief of the poor: together with parochial reports relative to the administration of work-houses, and houses of industry; the state of the Friendly Societies, and other public institutions; in several agricultural, commercial and manufacturing, districts. With a large appendix; co...

London, B. & J. White, G. & G. Robinson, T. Payne, R. Faulder, T. Egerton, J. Debrett, and D. Bremner, 1797. Three vols, 4to, pp. [6], xxxi, [1] blank, 632; viii, 444, 443*–*444, 445–692; viii, 693–744, 737*–*744, 737†–†744, 745–904, ccccxxx + binder’s instruction leaf; complete with all three half-titles, the extra leaf after 3L2 in vol. II, and the extra eight leaves in vol. III (5B*–5B†4); some light offsetting and the occasional other minor blemish, but still a very good copy in contemporary full calf, a little scuffed and scraped, corners worn, rebacked, preserving the original contrasting gilt morocco lettering- and numbering-pieces (lettering-piece to vol. I renewed); engraved early bookplate of F. J. Robinson and later library label and small stamp to the front endpapers. First edition of ‘one of the classical works in economical literature. Karl Marx has said that Eden was “the only disciple of Adam Smith during the eighteenth century that produced any work of any importance”’ (DNB).‘This important work contains a vast body of authentic information respecting the condition of the labouring classes of the population, from the Conquest down to the close of the last century. The first volume comprises a general history of the poor, the fruit of much laborious and pains-taking research; the second volume, and part of the third, consist principally of parochical Reports on the state of the poor from all parts of the country, some of which extend to remote epochs. The Appendix includes an extensive and elaborate table of prices, a collection of statutes relating to the poor, a notice of the poor of Scotland, and the most complete catalogue that has ever been published of the various works in the English language that had then appeared relative to the poor. Altogether, this is the grand storehouse of information respecting the labouring classes of England, and should have a prominent place in every library’ (McCulloch).Einaudi 1714; Goldsmiths’ 17107; Kress B.3384; McCulloch, pp. 285f; PMM 249.

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• Bestellnummer: H559.2

• Antiquariat: Bernard Quaritch Ltd. (GREAT BRITAIN)