Details
PLAYFAIR, William. Lineal Arithmetic; applied to shew the Progress of the Commerce and Revenue of England during the present century; which is represented and illustrated by Thirty-Three Copper-Plate Charts. Being an useful Companion for the Cabinet and Counting House. London: Printed for the author, and sold by A. Paris, 1798.
8o (210 x 126 mm). 35 engraved charts on 33 sheets (one folding), most hand-colored in outline (three plates shaved just touching headlines or imprint). Contemporary calf (joints cracked). Provenance: marginal annotations in a contemporary hand (3 pages with margins filled) and with two small ink sketches on endleaves.
FIRST EDITION. In this work, which is based on Playfair's Commercial and Political Atlas (1786; see lot 59), the charts are preceded by detailed information on the commerce and revenue of Britain.
"The advantage proposed by those Charts, is not that of giving a more accurate statement than by figures, but it is to give a more simple and permanent idea of the gradual progress and comparative amounts, at different periods, by presenting to the eye a figure, the proportions of which correspond with the amount of the sums intended to be expressed" (p. 6). By this method "as much information may be obtained in five minutes as would require whole days to imprint on the memory in a lasting manner by a table of figures" (p. 8). The charts compare Britain's annual revenues from international commerce between 1700 and 1780, an also compare the progressive growth of wealth with the progressive influx of wealth from other countries; Playfair also includes observations on the National debt and the Sinking fund. VERY RARE. Goldsmiths 17240; Sabin 63375 ("with curious colored charts showing the progress of the United States"); not in Einaudi or Kress.
8o (210 x 126 mm). 35 engraved charts on 33 sheets (one folding), most hand-colored in outline (three plates shaved just touching headlines or imprint). Contemporary calf (joints cracked). Provenance: marginal annotations in a contemporary hand (3 pages with margins filled) and with two small ink sketches on endleaves.
FIRST EDITION. In this work, which is based on Playfair's Commercial and Political Atlas (1786; see lot 59), the charts are preceded by detailed information on the commerce and revenue of Britain.
"The advantage proposed by those Charts, is not that of giving a more accurate statement than by figures, but it is to give a more simple and permanent idea of the gradual progress and comparative amounts, at different periods, by presenting to the eye a figure, the proportions of which correspond with the amount of the sums intended to be expressed" (p. 6). By this method "as much information may be obtained in five minutes as would require whole days to imprint on the memory in a lasting manner by a table of figures" (p. 8). The charts compare Britain's annual revenues from international commerce between 1700 and 1780, an also compare the progressive growth of wealth with the progressive influx of wealth from other countries; Playfair also includes observations on the National debt and the Sinking fund. VERY RARE. Goldsmiths 17240; Sabin 63375 ("with curious colored charts showing the progress of the United States"); not in Einaudi or Kress.