A Critical and Philosophical Enquiry into the Causes of Prodigies and Miracles, as related by Historians. With an Essay towards restoring a Method and Purity in History, In which, the Characters of the most celebrated Writers of every Age, and of the several stages, and species of history, are occasionally criticized and explained. In two parts.
London: Thomas Corbett, 1727. First Edition. Hardcover. Small octavo (6.5 x 4 inches). xxii + [ii] + 138pp. + [vi Contents listing]. Contemporary full leather with raised bands on spine, gilt borders on both covers. An anonymous book, now known to be the work of William Warburton (1698-1779) was an English classics scholar, writer, and clergyman who rose to become Bishop of Gloucester. Warburton wrote this book around the time that he was first ordained as a priest, which was a period of his life when he was also very engaged with the intellectual and literary circles of London. The book is a thoughtful, if rather abstruse, discussion of the frequency and manner in which prophecies and miracles have been presented in historical writing, and in particular why there seemed to be more of these in ancient times than modern. His conclusions are interesting and cogent: suggesting that human minds are naturally open to tales of wonder, and that in ancient times people were essentially more gullible, that tales of Divine or other-worldy interventions in human affairs could be used to reinforce the status of existing hierarchies, etc. etc. This volume is complete in two parts, plus the contents section for each part, although it does not include the errata bound in at the rear in some copies. Binding worn and chafed at all edges and extremities, heavy chafing to spine edges with some loosening of hinges although both are holding solidly. Page-edges browned, text pages remarkably bright and fresh, unmarked. Despite exterior wear - a complete & solid near VG copy. Item #49550
Price: $250.00