First edition of a foundational text of conservatism, a reaction to the French Revolution that was influential not just in shaping conservative movements and ideals for the subsequent two centuries, but also in spurring responses of great importance in the history of political and social thought. In the escalating iconoclasm of the French Revolution, Burke perceives an arrogant and dangerous conceit that humans could develop effective social and political systems from scratch. He asserts that "any revolution that did not bring real liberty, which comes from the administration of justice under a settled constitution without bias from the mob, was no liberty. In the eternal debate between the ideal and the practical, the latter never had a more powerful or moving advocate, nor one whose ideals were higher" (PMM). Burke's polemic prompted a spate of responses, themselves often snowballing into new intellectual paths. These included Mary Wollstonecraft's Rights of Man, which laid the groundwork for her Vindication of the Rights of Women, alongside Thomas Paine's Rights of Man, in turn prompting William Godwin's Political Justice, which inspired Thomas Malthus to write his Essay on the Principle of Population. The popularity of Burke's Reflections is attested to by the rapidity new editions were published - several editions were printed in the last two months of 1790 alone, each with a substantial print-run. The first edition is superficially similar to two reprints before the stated "second edition", but the true first can be readily identified by the presence of cancelled leaves. Bound at the front are two leaves of early transcript (watermarked 1804) from Richard Cumberland's Memoirs, including an approbation by Cumberland on the tract, and a letter from Burke to Cumberland sent 13 November 1790 (transcribed from Memoirs, volume one, 1806, pp. 339-40). Printing and the Mind of Man 239; Todd 53a. Octavo (212 x 129 mm). Recent half calf to style, twin black morocco labels, marbled sides. With requisite cancels; title in duplicate setting B (no priority), terminal gatherings with flower pointing up, press figure * (four possible combinations, no priority). Light foxing. A very good copy.
