[WHATELY, Richard]. Historic Doubts Relative to Napoleon Buonaparte … New Edition. London, Longman, Green, and Co., 1881.
8vo. Original printed boards; pp. 79, 24 (publisher's catalogue); light wear and toning to margins of binding, a little spotting internally; a good copy.
First published in 1819, this ontological study of truth exemplified by Napoleon's case was written by the future Archbishop of Dublin. It was 'the author's first essay in independent authorship, in which he attempted to hoist [David] Hume with his own petard by showing that on his principles the existence of Napoleon could not be admitted as a well-authenticated fact (ODNB). Post-truth, but a lot about Napoleon. This tract was printed many times on both sides of the Atlantic up to 1910.
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