Algernon Sidney ; plein maroquin - Discours sur le gouverment, par Algernon Sidney, fils de Robert comte de Leicester, et ambassadeur - 1702

Algernon Sidney, Discourses on the Government, by Algernon Sidney, son of Robert, Earl of Leicester, and ambassador of the Republic of England to Charles Gustave, King of Sweden.
The Hague, Louis & Henri van Dole, 1702. 3 volumes in-12, frontispiece-[30]-451p, [8]-447p & [8]-438p.

Original French edition of this work against Charles II and his absolute monarchy. Written during the period of the Exclusion Bill (the project to keep the Catholic future James II from the throne), the work is published only in 1698 in response to Robert Filmer’s Patriarcha (1680), defending absolute monarchy. Sidney was therefore a republican and was involved in the Rye House Plot. He was condemned and executed in 1683. The work is Sidney’s great opus and is particularly important in the history of ideas in England. Brunet says it is the finest edition.

Binding around 1770, full olive morocco, flat spine, ornaments, title and volume labels in red morocco, triple gold-tooled border surrounding the boards, roulade (rolled) decoration along the edges of the endpapers, gilt edges on marbled endpapers. A portion of the boards and spine frayed/soiled, small defects, some foxing, small tear in the margin of 5 consecutive leaves of volume 1.

Very good copy.