Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States of America....
The First British Publication of the First Substantial Commentary on the U.S. Constitution: A Remarkable Hybrid Rarity Wilson, James [1742-1798]. McKean, Thomas [1734-1817]. Lloyd, T[homas] [1756-1827], Reporter. Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States of America, With that Constitution Prefixed, In Which are Unfolded, The Principles of Free Government, And the Superior Advantages of Republicanism Demonstrated. By James Wilson, L.L.D., Professor of Laws in the College and University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one of the Associate Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, and Appointed by the Legislature of Pennsylvania to form a Digest of the Laws of that State; And by Thomas M'Kean, L.L.D. Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Whole Extracted from Debates, Published in Philadelphia by T. Lloyd. London: Printed for J. Debrett, Opposite Burlington House, Piccadilly; J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard; And J.S. Jordan, No. 166, Fleet Street, 1792. [ii], [5]-19, [1], 20-23, 25-56, 65-147, [4] pp. Pagination irregular. Lacking half-title and signature H (pp.57-64). Octavo (8-1/2" x 5"; 21.59 x 12.7 cm). Twentieth-century three-quarter morocco over cloth, raised bands, gilt fillets and calf lettering piece to spine, endpapers renewed, untrimmed edges. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior, repairs to edges of a few leaves and title page, some loss to text of errata leaf, which has a repair. Light marks in pencil to margins of a few leaves, brief contemporary annotation to p. 122, early owner signature "Dooright" and, in a different hand, "693-D" to head of title page. Housed in a maroon quarter morocco clamshell box. $7,500. * First edition. This work represents the first substantial commentary on the U.S. Constitution published in Great Britain. A fascinating "hybrid" edition, it was produced by shipping original 1788 Philadelphia sheets of Lloyd's Debates to England and issuing them with new introductory material. Because of this haphazard assembly, almost no two copies are identical; notably, this copy includes the original Philadelphia title page and divisional dedication leaf-a rare variant not fully captured by Adams or the English Short-Title Catalogue (ESTC T138356). The absence of signature H (pp. 57-64) is a characteristic of this hybrid assembly rat.
Price: $7,500.00
Book number 84752