The Remnant Trust, Inc. The Wisdom of the Ages Athenaeum at Acton Institute Fa l l 2 0 21 2 3 Fall 2021 Exhibition John Dalberg "Historical Essays and Studies" is a collection of essays written by John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Acton Baron Acton, published in 1907, five years after his death. Edited by John Neville Figgis Historical Essays and Reginald Vere Laurence, the essays cover a wide period, from Henry VIII's reign and Studies through the 19th century. Some of the essays included in "Historical Essays" are: "Wolsey 1907 and the Divorce of henry VIII," "The Civil War in America," "A History of the French Revolution," and "German Schools of History." While Lord Acton is not ranked among the great historians of our time, he is considered one of the most deeply educated men of his time and is greatly re- membered for his influence on others. #0010 John Dalberg First Edition, with frontispiece. "Letters of Lord Acton to Mary, Daughter of the Right Acton Hon. W. E. Gladstone" is a collection of letters by English Catholic historian and politician Letters of Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, dated between October 31, 1879, Acton to Mary, to January 1, 1886. It was published in 1904, after his death in 1902, in London by George Daughter of the Allen and edited with an introductory memoir by Herbert Paul. Mary Gladstone, a political Right Hon. W. secretary and writer, was the daughter of the British Prime Minister William Ewart Glad- E. Gladstone stone, who was a friend and supporter of Acton. In the letters to Mary Gladstone, Acton 1904 discussed various topics including his activities, politics, religion, people, history, and vari- First Edition ous books of interest. Acton was an avid learner that enjoyed historical personalities and a master of principal foreign languages. He is considered one of the most deeply educated men of his time and is greatly remembered for his influence on others. #0014 John Adams First Edition, in three volumes. Written by American statesman and Founding Father John A Defence of the Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" Constitutions of is a volume set that was published between 1787 and 1788 in London. The first volume ap- Government of peared in London, New York, and Philadelphia in 1787 and Boston in 1788. Adams intend- the United States ed for "A Defence" to be a one-volume work; however, he added two more volumes in of America 1787 and 1788 to address issues raised by critics and to provide more examples. "A De- 1787-1788 fence" was written while Adams was the American ambassador in the United Kingdom. Ad- First Edition ams describes and examines various forms and structures of ancient and modern govern- ments. Adams strongly favored the separations of powers believing the two branches of leg- islature would balance the power of government and that the branches would come togeth- er in times of crisis. Upon its publication, "A Defence" had a profound effect on the delegates of the Constitution- al Convention of 1787, and its influence can be seen in the United States Constitution. #0017-0019 4 John Adams First Edition. "Novanglus, and Massachusettensis; or Political Essays, Published in the Novanglus, and Years 1774 and 1775, on the Principal Points of Controversy, between Great Britain and Massachusetten- her Colonies…" is a series of essays written under a pseudonym, Novanglus, by American sis; or Political statesman and Founding Father John Adams and lawyer Daniel Leonard, using the pseudo- Essays, Published nym Massachusettensis. This volume was published in 1819 in Boston and is the first com- in the Years 1774 plete printing in book form of the essays. The preface wrongly identified Jonathan Sewall as and 1775 Adams' antagonist. Adams' 12 essays appeared in the "Boston Gazette" from January 23, 1819 1775 to April 17, 1775 prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord. They were in re- First Edition sponse to Leonard's 17 treatises defending British policies and support for the British gov- ernment that appeared in the "Massachusetts Gazette" from Dec. 12, 1774 to April 3, 1775. In Adams' essays, he examines Leonard's treatises, refuting his facts and unjustified assumptions. Adams defended the colonies autonomy from Great Britain and showed his interest in republican government. Adams was influ- enced by James Harrington, John Locke, and Grotius. This volume also includes letters from Adams to William Tudor, William Wirt, and Hezekiah Niles, describing the beginning period of the American Revolution. #0021 Incunable in Latin, with blue and red rubrication. "Summa Theologiae Pars Secunda Secun- Thomas Aquinas da Pars" was written by the Dominican friar and philosopher Thomas Aquinas. This vol- Summa ume was printed in 1475 in Venice by Franciscus Renner de Heilbronn and Nicolaus de Theologiae Pars Frankfordia. "Summa Theologiae" is Thomas Aquinas' best-known work. Written between Secunda 1265 and 1274, it remains unfinished due to Aquinas' death in 1274. It consists of three ma- 1475 jor parts: Theology, Ethics, and Christ. The second part of "Summa Theologiae" is known Incunable in short as "Pars Secunda." It includes discussions of 303 questions concerning the purpose of man, habits, types of law, vices and virtues, prudence and justice, fortitude and temper- ance, graces, and the religious versus the secular life. The first part of "Pars Secunda" consists of 114 questions and offers an extensive discussion of man. The first five questions deal with man's end, man's happiness, what happiness is, the things that are required for happiness, and the attainment of happiness. The remaining questions deal with a wide variety of issues related to the will, emotions and passions, virtues, sins, law, and grace. The sec- ond part of "Pars Secunda" consists of 189 questions and reflects upon the theological virtues. "Summa Theologi- ae" is considered one of the most influential classical works of philosophy and influenced one of the greatest liter- ary poems in the Western world, Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy." #0425 Aristotle Illuminated and Rubricated Manuscript on Paper in Latin. This volume is a translation of Nichomachean Leonardo Bruni transcribed by an unrecorded scribe, Guillaume-Henri, citizen of Embrun Ethics at Carpentras in France. The work is presumed to be dedicated to Aristotle's father or ille- 1488 gitimate son, both called Nichomachus. Originally written in Greek and based on lectures Manuscript Aristotle gave in Athens in the fourth century B.C., "Nichomachean Ethics" is Aristotle's best-known work and helped lay the foundation for Aristotelian Ethics. Aristotle asserts that ultimate good for humans is eudiamonia, or happiness, which can be achieved through having a virtuous char- acter, or ethos. There are four virtues that comprise a virtuous character: being of "great soul," being just and fair, having practical wisdom, and being a truly good friend. "Ethics" was critical to the development of medieval and modern philosophy and was especially influential to Thomas Hobbes and Francis Bacon at the end of the Middle Ages. #0672 5 Augustine of First English Edition. This is Augustine of Hippo's classic book of Christian philosophy Hippo "Citie of God," published in 1610 in London. It was translated by John Healey and includes St. Augustine, Of the learned comments of Ioannes Lodovicus Vives (Juan Luis Vives). Written in Latin in the Citie of God: the early fifth century CE, "Citie of God" lays out the four key elements of Augustine's phi- With the Learned losophy: the church, the state, the City of God, and the City of Man. He proposes the Comments of Io. church is divinely established and leads humankind to eternal goodness, which is God. The Lod. Viues state adheres to the virtues of politics and the mind, forming a political community. Both 1610 societies are visible and seek to do good. Mirroring these are two invisible societies: the City First English of God, for those predestined for salvation, and the City of the Man, for those given eternal Edition damnation. Augustine's famous argument that people need government because they are sinful served as a model for church-state relations in medieval times. "Citie of God" is con- sidered to be one of Augustine of Hippo's most important works along with "The Confes- sions," and was one of the most influential works of the Middle Ages. #0030 First Complete Edition, Second Issue in English, with engraved portrait frontispiece and Francis Bacon engraved title page. Written by English philosopher Francis Bacon, "Of the Advancement Of the and Proficience of Learning or the Partitions of Sciences IX Bookes" was first published Advancement under the title "The Twoo Bookes…Of the Proficience and Advancement of Learning, Di- and Proficience vine and Human" in 1605. Over the next twenty years, Bacon would expand and revise his of Learning or ideas to encompass a volume that contained nine books. First appearing in Latin as "De the Partitions of Augmentis Scientiarum" in 1623, the volume was later translated into English and first pub- Sciences IX lished in 1640 by Leon Lichfield for Robert Young and Edward Forrest. "Of the Advance- Bookes ment and Proficience of Learning" is Bacon's reorganization of the scientific method, which 1640 primarily concerns philosophy and science classifications. He examines the differences be- First Complete tween knowledge by divine revelation and knowledge by the senses and further classifies Edition, Second them as natural, theological, philosophical, and sciences of man. #0680 Issue Frédéric Bastiat First Edition in English. "Harmonies of Political Economy" was written by French econo- Harmonies of mist Frédéric Bastia. It was first published in French in 1850, only the first volume (the first Political Economy ten chapters) was published during Bastiat's lifetime.