Description
The first edition, first issue of The Peoples Ancient and Juft Liberties Asserted in the Tryal of William Penn, and William Mead, published in London in September, 1670.
The published record of the trial of Quakers, William Penn and William Mead, who were arrested for unlawful assembly. The trial resulted in the imprisonment of the jury and their appeal in the “Bushell’s Case,” a landmark ruling on the independence of juries in English law. Small quarto, [62pp]. Contemporary blue paper wraps, bound at spine with string. Light, even toning to leaves, no appreciable damage or wear to leaves. Housed in custom blue cloth chemise, title in gilt on label affixed to spine.
Both Sabin and Smith note that the first state of the title was misspelled as “Assrted,” but recent work by Carroll Frey and the bibliography of Bronner and Fraser attribute this to the second issue of the third edition.
(Wing P1334C), (Sabin 59723) (ESTC R479411) (Wing P1334A) (Wing P1334B) (Smith, Friends Books II, 285) (Bronner & Fraser A10, B10, C10).
This work contains six of eight first issue points, as described in Bronner & Fraser, including: [58]-[59] misnumbered as 68-69, final leaf [62] misnumbered as 72; the juror Edward Bushel is noted as “_ Bushel,” line ends “Bale” (p. 33, line 16); pointing finger in margin (p. 40. The word “Hats” is justified in the margins on page 7, which is noted as the second issue and last line of page 49 ends with “and unlimited wills,” which is attributed to the third issue. Lacking the errata leaf (p. 63), found starting in the third issue.
