Hunting Vindicated from Cruelty, In a letter to The Monthly Reviewers

Spitzbergen: Printed for the benefit, if any, of the Whippers-in, 1782. 30pp. Later buff wrappers. Housed in custom red cloth folder with green morocco lettering-piece, armorial bookplate of Gloucester to front flap. A trifle creased, scattered foxing, early ink date to text of first page of text. Armorial bookplate to verso of upper wrapper of Charles Francis George Richard Schwerdt (1862-1939), who's extensive collection of books, manuscripts, prints and drawings relating to hunting, hawking and shooting, was sold after his death in a series of sales at Sotheby's, 22nd May 1939-11th March 1946. A remarkably rare survival of the first edition of an anonymous, impassioned, polemical pamphlet defending the practice of hunting, following an article within the Monthly Review for September 1781 that had labelled all those who partook in in the sport as 'barbarians'. The Monthly Review published a rather excoriating response in their July issue for 1782 (Vol. LXVII). The imprint, giving the place of publication as 'Spitzbergen', is clearly spurious, perhaps a thinly-veiled, rather puerile jest? OCLC records two copies at the British Library, and none elsewhere. Not in ESTC.. First edition. 8vo.