PLATO REDIVIVUS: OR, A DIALOGUE CONCERNING GOVERNMENT. Wherein, by observations drawn from other kingdoms and states both ancient and modern, an endeavour is used to discover the present politick distemper of our own, with the causes, and remedies.

[NEVILLE, Henry.]

Edité par London printed for S.I. in the year, 1681

A propos de cet article

Small 8vo, pp. [xvi], 271; pagination including blank A1; cut a little close at head, just affecting the page numbers; bound in early mottled calf, rebacked in recent times. First edition: despite the date in the imprint, this book was issued at the end of 1680, at the time of the Exclusion Crisis and the Oxford parliament. Neville (1620-94) had already made a name for himself as a republican philosopher, and was well known to contemporary writers such as Hobbes and Harrington indeed, he is suspected of having had a hand in the writing of Oceana (1656) and he had served as a troublesome MP during the Protectorate, when he upset the puritan members with his sceptical outlook. He was reported as having remarked that there was nothing that could be said for Christian scriptures that could not be also said for the Koran. This is his last major work, and his most enduring piece of political theory: it takes the form of a dialogue between an Englishman and a noble Venetian, and effectively proposes a limited monarchy, devolving power from the King down to elected councils under the control of parliament. It was reprinted in the 18th century when Neville was viewed as a precursor of more adventurous republican theorists. Wing N513. Provenance. Armorial bookplate of Anthony [Grey], Earl of Kent, dated 1702. Kent was born in 1645 and died suddenly on the bowling green at Tonbridge (it must have been an unusually exciting game) in August 1702: he may have bought this book new, although he was almost certainly unsympathetic to its theories. His bookplate was presumably printed very shortly before his death. Thence by descent (through three female inheritances and at least one special remainder) to Thomas Philip Earl de Grey (1781-1859), with his Wrest Park bookplate.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: PLATO REDIVIVUS: OR, A DIALOGUE CONCERNING GOVERNMENT. Wherein, by observations drawn from other kingdoms and states both ancient and modern, an endeavour is used to discover the present politick distemper of our own, with the causes, and remedies.
• Éditeur: London printed for S.I. in the year
• Date de parution: 1681
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Politics