[Rarebooks] FS - Annie Besant on Birth Control

[GREENFIELD BOOKS]

BESANT, Annie. /THE LAW OF POPULATION: ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND ITS BEARING 
UPON HUMAN CONDUCT AND MORALS/. Bound in contemporary red grained cloth 
with gilt spine titling. Freethought Publishing Co, London. ND (c. 
1877).  Slim 12mo, pp. 48. Bds. rubbed at edges, and somewhat soiled. 
Brown spot to foredge. Endpapers tight and unmarked. Contents clean. 
Overall, in good, to just less than very good condition.

Annie Besant (1847-1933), was a theosophist, educator, and (although she 
was born in England) a noted Indian politician. Her maiden name was 
Wood, but in 1867, when she was not yet twenty, she married the Rev. 
Frank Besant. She quickly had two children and found the life of a 
mid-Victorian mother and wife too restrictive. Her independent spirit 
clashed with her husband's traditional views and, when she refused to 
take communion, he banished her from the home. In 1874, Besant joined 
the Secular Society, and developed a close relationship with Charles 
Bradlaugh, editor of the radical /National Reformer,/ and leader of the 
Secular Movement in England. He gave her a job writing for the /National 
Reformer/ and, during the next few years she wrote many articles on 
issues such as marriage and women's rights.

In 1877, Besant and Bradlaugh published Charles Knowlton's highly 
controversial book, /The Fruits of Philosophy/, which advocated birth 
control, the promotion of which was a crime at that time. Both Besant 
and Bradlaugh were charged with publishing material "likely to deprave 
or corrupt those whose minds are open to immoral influences". Although 
convicted at trial, and sentenced to six months penal servitude, the 
conviction was quashed on appeal. Shortly therefater, Besant felt 
confident enough to publish this famous essay, /The Law of Population/. 
/The Times/ of London reacted by accusing Besant of writing "an 
indecent, lewd, filthy, bawdy and obscene book", and Besant's husband 
used the publication to convince a court he should have custody of their 
daughter.

In 1885, she joined the Fabian Society, and in 1888 organized a 
matchmakers' strike (no pun intended), and was instrumental in helping 
to create their union. During this period, she converted to theosophy (a 
form of philosophy by which adherents claim a special insight into the 
Divine nature and its constituitive moments or processes. It was founded 
by Madame Blavatsky in 1875). From 1895 Besant lived in India and there 
attempted to reconcile theosophy with Hinduism. She eventually became 
president of the Theosophical Society (1907-1933) and for a short time 
served as president of the Indian National Congress. She died in India.

This book is dedicated "To the Poor in great cities and agricultural 
districts, dwellers in stifling court or crowded hovel, in the hope that 
it may point out a path from poverty, and make easier the life of 
British Mothers.." The essay begins with a discussion of Malthus, and 
current theories of population growth, and then examines the 
consequences to the poor of overpopulation, overcrowding, and 
malnourishment. Besant rejects Malthus' solution to this problem: of 
delaying marriage, and hence the "production of children", as being 
impractical and likely to led to an increase in prostitution. She 
discusses forms of birth control in a manner, and with a degree of 
specificity which, no doubt, shocked Victorians, but which now appears 
commonsensical.

Besant concludes her essay with this prescient observation: "Discussion 
on the Population Question is not yet safe; legal penalty threatens 
those who advocate the restriction of birth instead of the destruction 
of life...." This is a vital and interesting essay by one who would now 
be called an "early feminist". Quite scarce.

Price:  $150.00. (#30336)

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