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Edmund Burke

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
Edmund Burke

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Auction Date:2019 Dec 04 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:15th Floor WeWork, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Statesman, author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher (1729–1797) who, after relocating to England, served for many years in the House of Commons. He is mainly remembered for his support of the American Revolution, and for his later opposition to the French Revolution. Important ALS signed “Edm. Burke,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 7.25 x 9, docketed, "Rec'd November 1777." Letter to John Bourke, offering commentary on the yet-unpublished 'Letter to Lord North' by Philip Francis. In part: "I give a thousand thanks for the papers you have been so good as to put into my hands. I wished to keep them a little longer; but I husbanded my time as well as I could; & when my Company went to bed spent the greatest part of the Night in reading them. This morning I went through the whole. I don't know that I ever read any State paper drawn with more ability; & indeed I have seldom read a paper of any kind with more pleasure.

In general I perfectly agree with Mr. Francis, that a nice scrutiny into the property & tenures of a whole Nation is almost always more alarming to the people, than advantageous to Government. It is never undertaken without some suspicion at least of an attempt to impose some new Burthen upon them. Mr. F. is a better judge than I can possibly be of the politicks which have given rise to such a measure…The idea of forcing everything to an artificial equality has something, at first view, very captivating in it. It has all the appearance imaginable of Justice & good order…you know that it is this very rage for equality, which has blown up the flames of this present cursed War in America. I am, for one, entirely satisfied, that the inequality, which grows out of the nature of things by time, custom, successions, accumulation, permutation, & improvement of property, is much nearer that true equality, which is the foundation of equity & just policy, than any thing which can be contrived by the Tricks & devices of human Skill." In fine condition. Accompanied by a custom-made presentation folder. Provenance: The James S. Copley Library, Sotheby's, 2010.