[VIVANT DE MEZAGUES].

Bilan général et raisonné de l'Angleterre, depuis 1600 jusqu'à la fin de 1761; ou Lettre à M. L. C. D. sur le produit des terres & du commerce de l'Angleterre.

[Paris,] 1762. 8vo, pp. [iv], 260; some spotting and light foxing, a little heavier to the title, but a good copy in contemporary mottled calf, scraped in places, spine decorated gilt in compartments, with a gilt lettering-piece. First edition, very rare: ‘The object of the “letter” is to show that the wealth and trade of England were not greater than that of France. With this view the author examines into the balance of trade between England and other countries (including Ireland), the national income and debt, exchanges, imports and exports of bullion, war expenditure, etc. He concludes that England, after having been a gainer by her trade during the 17th century, was in 1761 a loser from a monetary point of view. He supports the argument by statistics from official and the best private estimates, and carefully considers objections. He calculates that the “territorial income” of England about 1760 was £20,000,000 sterling; also that from two-fifths to a third of the national debt was held by foreigners’ (Palgrave).The work appeared in English as A General View of England … in 1766. According to the translator, Vivant de Mézagues was at the head of his country’s finances in the 1750s. We can discover nothing more about him, but Higgs notes that Blanqui classes him a Physiocrat.Goldsmiths’ 9743; Higgs 2770; INED 4468 bis; not in Kress; OCLC locates the University of Wisconsin copy only.

• GBP 2,500.00 > otras divisas
• nº de pedido: H706.32

• librero: Bernard Quaritch Ltd. (GREAT BRITAIN)