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A Classic Essay on the Rights of Englishmen Somers, John, Baron [1651-1716], Attributed. Defoe, Daniel [1661?-1731], Attributed. Dunton, John [1659-1733], Attributed. The Judgment of Whole Kingdoms and Nations, Concerning the Rights, Power and Prerogative of Kings, And the Rights, Priviledges, And Properties of the People: Shewing, The Nature of Government in General, Both from God and Man. An Account of the British Government; And the Rights and Priviledges of the People in the Time of the Saxons, And Since the Conquest. The Government Which God Ordain'd Over the Children of Israel; And that All Magistrates and Governors Proceed From the People, By Many Examples in Scripture and History; And the Duty of Magistrates From Scripture and Reason. An Account of Eleven Emperors, And Above Fifty Kings Depriv'd for Their Evil Government. The Right of the People and Parliament of Britain, To Resist and Deprive Their Kings for Evil Government, By King Henry's Charter, And Likewise in Scotland, By Many Examples. London: Reprinted and Sold by J. William, 1771. [viii], 168 pp. Octavo (7-1/2" x 4-1/2"). Contemporary calf, gilt fillets to boards, rebacked in period style with gilt-edged raised bands and retained contemporary lettering piece, marbled endpapers. Some rubbing to extremities, scuff to head of front board, negligible shallow scuff to rear, corners bumped and somewhat worn, early armorial bookplate (of the Barons Hawke, possibly Edward Hawke-Harvey, 3rd Baron [1774-1824]) to front pastedown, hinges mended. Light toning to text, spark burns and foxing to a few leaves. Later annotations to verso of front free endpaper, interior otherwise clean. An attractive copy. $750. * Tenth edition, corrected. This highly popular tract was first published in 1709 with the title Vox Dei, Being True Maxims of Government. Somers, a barrister of the Middle Temple, was Lord Chancellor of England and the author of The Security of Englishmen's Lives (1681), a tract on juries and one's right to a jury trial. The present work outlines the development of English freedoms, and calls for religious freedom, resistance to tyranny and a limited monarchy. It found a ready audience in the colonies on the eve of the American Revolution and was issued by presses in Philadelphia, Boston and Newport. It was read by several of the American founde.
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