Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Book in excellent unread/unused condition. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> The first edition of Graunt’s Observations upon the Bills of Mortality was published between 25 January 1662 the date of the first epistle dedicatory and 5 February 1662 when Graunt presented fifty copies to the Royal Society to be distributed among its mem bers. In the world outside Gresham College as well as among the Fellows of the Royal Society Graunt’s work soon attracted attention. Pepys bought a copy at Westminster Hall the 24 March’ and the book proved so widely successful that a second edition was called for before the close of the year. With the return of the plague in the early summer of 1665 interest in the Observations revived. On the twentieth of June at the same meeting at which the Council of the Royal Society recommended the Society to intermit their public weekly meetings until the present sickness should cease it also ordered “that upon a report of Sir William Petty of his having perused the additions of Mr Graunt to his Observations upon the Bills of Mortality the president be desired to license the reprinting of that book together with such additions.” As the 4 July is the latest date in the “table shewing how many died weekly” it is probable that the new edition appeared before the 11 July.