The State of the Poor: or a history of the labouring classes in England, from the Conquest to the present period; in which are particularly considered, their domestic economy, with respect to diet, dress, fuel, and habitation; and the various plans which, from time to time, have been proposed and adopted for the relief of the poor: together with parochial reports relative to the administration of work-houses, and houses of industry; the state of the Friendly Societies, and other public institutions; in several agricultural, commercial and manufacturing, districts. With a large appendix; containing a comparative and chronological table of the prices of labour, of provisions, and of other commodities; an account of the poor in Scotland; and m

First edition of the first major study of the English poor; "it has proved the basis of sociological investigation ever since" (PMM). "The State of the Poor is one of the classical works in the history of economics. Eden was led to embark on the subject by the high prices brought on by the war in 1794 and 1795, and the effect they had on the living conditions of the poorer classes. He established the framework of his investigation by lengthy visits to several parishes; the rest was filled in by his many correspondents up and down the land" (PMM.). Eden describes the condition of the poor and its causes, extensively substantiated with reports of the administration of workhouses and charitable organizations, and lengthy appendixes including much statistical data of prices and wages. It includes a list of works on poverty and its amelioration. Karl Marx cited it in Das Kapital, where he claimed that Eden was the only 18th-century disciple of Adam Smith to produce a work of any significance (pointedly including Malthus). Einaudi 1714; ESTC T145895; Goldsmiths' 17107; Kress B.3384; McCulloch, pp. 285f; Printing and the Mind of Man 249. 3 vols, quarto (264 x 204 mm). Bound with half-titles and all the extra leaves (3L3, v.2; 5B*-5B4, v.3), without terminal binder's direction leaf. With folding letterpress table in vol. III. Contemporary sprinkled calf, twin black calf labels, smooth spines tooled in gilt, gilt roll border to covers, green edges. Twentieth-century pencilled ownership signature to front free endpaper of vol. I. Joints and extremities expertly restored, some light foxing to contents but generally fresh. An excellent copy.…