The Prince
London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1810. First Edition thus. Hardcover. Octavo. xcv, [1], 211, [1 ad] pages.
Machiavelli’s masterpiece on gaining, wielding, and retaining political power, written in the form of a realistic instruction manual for rulers. It has provoked controversy from its inception, admired by some for its grasp of human nature and condemned by others for its rationale of "the ends justify the means."
This is the first printing of only the third translation of 'The Prince' into English, following those of Edward Dacres in 1640 and Ellis Farneworth in 1762. The present translation by John Scott Byerley (sometimes styled ‘John Scott of Ripon’), is distinguished by its lengthy Introduction, in which the translator draws striking parallels between Machiavelli’s maxims and the meteoric rise of England's then enemy, Napoleon Bonaparte. Byerley sees Machiavelli's work as "the secret spring which had regulated the actions of our great enemy," and produced this translation and its introductory essay to likewise illuminate his countrymen.
A beautiful copy of a rare and important English translation, very handsomely bound by Wood of London with Napoleonic binding elements on spine.
OCLC locates only 5 copies.
Bound in red Morocco over red cloth, marbled endpapers, five raised bands on spine, gilt-stamped spine titles and ornaments, gilt rules on boards, top edge gilt. A few tiny extremity rubs and slight toning to textblock, else fine.
Item #1980
Price: $4,500