The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, written in favour of the New Constitution, as agreed upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787, 2 vols.

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Creator

[Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay].

Title

The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, written in favour of the New Constitution, as agreed upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787, 2 vols.

Coverage

New York

Publisher

Printed and sold by J. and A. McLean

Date

1788

Description

A thick paper copy, rarely seen.

Provenance: Presented by James Madison to James Maury, a confidant and first consul of the United States.

Madison, Hamilton and Jay agreed amongst themselves to write position papers supporting the proposed Constitution, at the same time deciding not to disclose authorship. As such, there are virtually no presentation copies of The Federalist, this example being one of two known. Even Washington's copy, now at Williams College, has no direct indication of presentation.

My copy arrived in a particularly felicitous way. A bookseller called me and asked if I would be interested in volume one of The Federalist. I purchased it and asked about volume two, but he said it was not among the books he purchased. I suggested he speak with his seller, who told him that he donated a number of books he thought were of no value to a local thrift shop. Suffice it to say that my bookseller friend journeyed to the shop and found the volume.

Such are the tales that attach themselves to some books, and which live on in booklore forever.

Source

Michael Zinman