A Letter to Sir Samuel Shepherd, Knt. His Majesty's Attorney-General, Upon the Subject of His Prosecutions of Richard Carlile, for Publishing Paine's Age of Reason
London: R. Carlile, 1819. First edition. Wrappers. Octavo. 28 pages.
Richard Carlile was a publisher and political agitator who was charged and ultimately convicted of blasphemy and seditious libel for publishing material that might incite British subjects to hate their government--among these publications being Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason," which criticized the Church of England. This is Carlile's response, signed "Philalethes," published before he found guilty and sentenced to 3 years in Dorchester Gaol.
Also reprinted in this pamphlet are "A Letter to Mr. Carlile" and another sympathetic letter published in the Morning Chronicle. MCCOY. FREEDOM, C85.
Unprinted gray wrappers over a sewn binding. Printed on wove paper. Old ink notation on front wrap, "Paine's Age of Reason / 1819." Wrappers a bit brittle, with small edge chips, a few short splits. Interior clean, with slight age toning. Small chip to lower fore corner of title page.
Item #546
Sold