First Edition of Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France

Edmund Burke. REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE, AND ON THE PROCEEDINGS IN CERTAIN SOCIETIES IN LONDON RELATIVE TO THAT EVENT. IN A LETTER INTENDED TO HAVE BEEN SENT TO A GENTLEMAN IN PARIS. London: Printed for J. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall, 1790. First edition. Rebound in period leather, re-backed in calf with gilt-stamped red morocco label. 8vo; iv, 356pp. This title is notably bibliographically complex, however, per Todd this appears to be the first impression of the first edition with the ornamental flower on p. iv pointing to the right, the 'M' in the imprint date directly below the 'D' in DODSLEY, and no press figure on p. 354. It appears that only H3 is a cancel(?). Todd 53a; Lowndes 316; ESTC T46573.

8 3/8 x 5 1/2 in.

From the Collection of the late Professor Joel L. Fleishman, founding director of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Burke's most famous work, Reflections on the Revolution in France, was a statement against the French Revolution in favor of traditionalism.

Minor warping to boards, with light age wear to leather, a likely repair at one corner, and some typical edge wear including a corner chip; spine with light rubbing, chipping at head, and mild wear to label; joints with rubbing and creasing with a small split at the head of the front joint; endpapers with staining (impacting nearby leaves including the title), a few repairs, reinforcement at hinges, and cracking at front hinge; interior extremely clean and crisp with very light foxing and toning, occasional marks or grime, and minor damp stains; one leaf with subtle closed tear, one with small corner loss, and repairs to final two leaves.