[Rarebooks] FS: Henry Care's English Liberties, 1682, First Edition

[Ezra Tishman]

Ezra from Aardvark offers this rare first edition of an important legal and political work


Care, Henry. ENGLISH LIBERTIES; OR, THE FREEBORN SUBJECT'S INHERITANCE, CONTAINING I.
MAGNA CHARTA, THE PETITION OF RIGHT, THE HEBEAS CORPUS ACT, AND DIVERS OTHER MOST
USEFUL STATUTES : WITH LARGE COMMENTS UPON EACH OF THEM; II. THE PROCEEDINGS IN
APPEALS OF MURTHER; THE WORK AND POWER OF PARLIAMENTS, THE QUALIFICATIONS
NECESSARY FOR SUCH AS SHOULD BE CHOSEN TO THAT GREAT TRUST. PLAIN DIRECTIONS FOR ALL
PERSONS CONCERNED IN ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS; AND HOW TO PREVENT OR TAKE OFF THE WRIT
DE EXCOMMUNICATO CAPIENDO. AS ALSO THE OATH AND DUTY OF GRANT AND PETTY JURIES. III.
ALL THE LAWS AGAINST CONVENTICLES AND PROTESTANT DISSENTERS WITHNOTES, AND
DIRECTIONS BOTH TO CONSTABLES AND OTHERS CONCERN'D, THEREUPON; AND AN ABSTRACT OF
ALL THE LAWS AGAINST PAPISTS. London.: Printed by G. Larkin for Benjamin Harris, at the Stationers Arms and
Anchor in the Piazza under the Royal-Exchange., 1682. First Edition. Full contemporary sheep. Text measures 5 1/2" x 3 1/4".
Leather unglued from spine and front cover from the birch (?) wood board, which has partially perished. Some worming
throughout, which is mostly a tiny tunnel, but at the very conclusion of its 48 pp. trajectory, this worm was able to traverse
four lines of text -- about 1 1/2" -- but text can still easily be read. x + 228pp + 6 (booksellers catalog at end - lacking probably
1 page). While lightly age-tanned, pages are largely bright, clean and unfoxed. Sold thu$ly, because of these condition issues).
Extremely rare in the first edition, and in this printing, published by Care anonymously.

Extensive discussion of the concept of English liberties, the law & the actual practice. Includes the Star Chamber etc. Care was
tried and convicted in 1680 for publishing the 'Weekly Pacque of Advice', but the judge was later removed from the bench.
This particular work was declared "seditious", and threats were made against Care's person. A prolific writer, (and a working
one at that) Care turned his pen to a great many topics including politics, law, pornography, Latin translation, advice for
secretaries, etc. etc. ESTC (Citation # R31286). Scarce first appearance of a seminal work which heavily figured in the
historical events of the era. FAIR. . Leather-bound. 

Henry Care (1646-1688) was something of a polymath who possessed "broad knowledge of the doctrine and discipline of the
Church of England, the Roman Catholic church, Judaism, Islam, as well as English law and European and English
history...Latin, French,and Greek..." (ODNB). Of strong opinions, he was a controversial and opinionated anti-Papist,
published a (whig) serial called: The Daily Pacquet, for which on several occasions, he brought legal and judicial
condemnation down upon his head. This book, English Liberties, drew from the radical reading of Magna Charta to defend
the personal freedom of freeborn Englishmen. Building on the authority of the Great Charter, this work defended trial by jury
and established the persisting legal freedoms based on Magna Carta, including protections against unfair taxation and statues
prohibiting unfair imprisonment. Care’s work was condemned as seditious by the authorities but it was repeatedly
reproduced into the 18th century, being regarded as a handbook of civil liberties, informing and inspiring American colonies
at Boston and Providence between 1721 and 1774, who effected the Revolution.

 $3,500


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