Item #5363 Instructions for Youth, Gentlemen and Noblemen. Lord Treasurer Burleigh Sir Walter Raleigh, Cardinal Sermonetta, Mr. Walsingham.
Instructions for Youth, Gentlemen and Noblemen
Instructions for Youth, Gentlemen and Noblemen

Instructions for Youth, Gentlemen and Noblemen

London: Randal Minshull, 1722. Very Good. Item #5363

London: Randal Minshull, 1722. 12mo. (16x10cm); 328 [10]pp. Misnumbering 198 as 196, 199 as 197, and 255 as 245.

Bound in brown calf with simple gold decoration on edges. Raised cords on spine with lettering stamped in gold on red band. Edges rubbed, corners bumped. Front and back hinges starting. Two dime-sized spots on back cover where it appears leather was scratched and then repaired. Text block sound. Bookplate removed from front pastedown and board is showing through in some places. Note made in ink on front pastedown states "1120" and a previous vendor's price is written in pencil on front free endpaper. A handful of pages are dogeared on upper right corner throughout. Otherwise, all pages are clean and unmarked.

A scarce work in which the tract by Sir Walter Raleigh, titled "Sir Walter Raleigh's Instructions to His Son, And To Posterity," warns against the dangers of alcohol, stating it "maketh a Man contemptible, soon old, and despised ... for it is a bewitching and infectious Vice." The work has long been attributed to Raleigh, but some researchers believe it may actually have been written by his son. [Brushfield 277]

The book includes three other works: "The Lord-Treasurer Burleigh's Advice to his Son," "The Instructions of Cardinal Sermonetta, To His Cousin Petro Caetano, At his first going to Flanders to the Duke of Parma, to serve Philip King of Spain" and "Walsingham's Manual of Prudential Maxims for Statesmen and Courtiers."

This copy belonged to New York Times journalist William Safire.

Price: $300.00