249 - [MORELLY (Etienne-Gabriel)].

[MORELLY (Etienne-Gabriel)]. The Prince, the Delights of Hearts, or A Treatise on the Qualities of a Great King and a General System of Wise Government. Amsterdam, Published by the Company, 1751. Two volumes in one book, small quarto, full contemporary calfskin, spine with 5 raised bands, ornate compartments, red edges. Binding worn. First edition, published under a pseudonym, complete with its fold-out chart of the “General Tax Schedule for One Million Subjects.” Étienne-Gabriel Morelly is now recognized as the first to have developed a philosophy of socialism—or even communism, also known as utopian socialism. This political treatise, heavily inspired in form by Machiavelli’s *The Prince*, consists of four distinct parts: the citizen prince, the legislator and magistrate prince, the political prince, and the warrior prince. Despite its seemingly fanciful form, the work—sometimes dismissed as a utopia—is in reality a realistic reflection on the necessary reforms of government: the constitution of the government, foreign and domestic policy, social progress... Right down to the precise calculation of taxes (presented in a fold-out chart). A rare copy of this political treatise.