Letters, on the spirit of patriotism: on the idea of a patriot King: and on the state of parties, at the accession of King George the first

Printed for A. Millar, opposite to Catharine-Street, in the Strand, London, first authorized edition, MDCCXLIX [1749]. . Modern polished calf, leather spine-labels, 8vo,. xi, [1], 9-251 pp. A collection of three treatises by the prominent Tory politician Henry St. John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678-1751). The most influential was The Patriot King, written for Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King George II, while he lived at Leicester House in London. The Prince of Wales had a troubled relationship with his father and had established a rival court of members of the political elite who had fallen out of favour with the king and his prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole. Bolingbroke describes an ideal type of kingship, whereby the king would do away with party-politics, would place himself above politicking and squabbles, and rule the nation in the best interests of his people. Bolingbroke had circulated the treatise privately to a few friends and was aggrieved by its unauthorized publication by Pope : this 1749 first authorized edition contains a vehement denunciation of Pope's actions in the preliminary 'Advertisement'. Signature on half-title of 'Thos. Robinson, 1850', pencil notes on rear free endpaper. Small tear to head of title-page, pages 29-36 supplied in good facsimile on well-matched paper (so unobtrusive), occasional light age-toning or marks but generally a Good clean copy in a pleasant binding with minor scuffs.