Beschreibung:

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE]. The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure . Vols. 58-59, January-December 1776, plus Supplement. London: John Hinton, 1776. 2 volumes, 8 o (208 x 129 mm). Frontispieces, engraved titles, 33 engraved plates, 2 folding, and 4 maps: two hemispheric maps, a plan of the city of New York and a hand-colored map, "An accurate map of the present Seat of War, between Great Britain and her Colonies in North America." Modern quarter calf preserving contemporary marbled boards; red half morocco folding case. FIRST PRINTING IN ENGLAND OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. The text of the Declaration appears in vol. 59 (for August 1776) on pages 91-93. It is humbly printed between an announcement of Foote's new comedy Capuchin and saccharin loves verses headed "The British Muse." Notably, the text of the Declaration is not listed under "America" in the Index at the end, although "answer in part to their declaration" is. The fine hand-colored map of the war theater in America faces page 169 in vol. 59, on which is the text of "A Concise History of the Origin of Progress of the present unhappy Disputes between Great-Britain and the American Colonies." This is the first chapter in the history of the Revolution, later chapters of which follow. Illustrating the second chapter (p. 225) is the plan of New York, and a report of the attempted burning of New York is on p. 257. (2)