THE FLOATING IDEAS OF NATURE, SUITED TO THE PHILOSOPHER, FARMER, and MECHANIC... [complete in two volumes]

London: Printed for the Author, 1796. Book. Good. Full Leather. First Edition. pp. vol. I: [4], [ix]-xvi, 17-318, [2- index,] [2- blank]; voll. II: 108, *109 - *134, 109-290, [325]-332, 291-296. Folding table frontispiece to volume I. The pagination is somewhat erratic, but all seems to be present, there is stub to the preliminaries of vol. I but this is from the folding table. Collation as follows vol. I Title, Advertisment leaf, Preface, Introduction, main text, Index; vol. II; Title page, Preface, Appendix, List of subscribers. Full, conteporary bindings of tree sheep, gilt decoration to the spines. Bindings worn to the spine with much of the covering leather chipped off, the boards remain firmly attached, but ideally need to be rebacked. All edges dyed yellow. Contents clean and tight, paper clean and crisp. A good/;very good set. All of Varlo's self- published works are scarce, but this title is particularly scarce - the list of subscribers listing only around 225 names. It is a later issue with some new material but, essentially as preceding editions: - "The Essence of Agriculture" in 1786 and "Nature Displayed" in 1793. Varlo went to America in 1784, expecting, apparently, to be acknowledged as governor of the province of New Jersey, through a grant from Charles I to Sir Edmund Plowden. This claim was dismissed in the courts. Varlo's twelve months' tour through the states of New England, Maryland, and Virginia is described in chapters three and four with fascinating accounts of George Washington and General Eathen Allen. Varlo's text while predominantly about British agriculture includes various references to American Agriculture including sections on Indian corn and tobacco. Varlo was free thinking and his text is enriched with his own observations and social commentary including his views on social injustices; some of his beliefs and thoughts were ahead of his time: - Chapter XXVI - "...my thoughts upon the most barbarous law which prevails in England, of hanging fellons." and concludes "...neither do I think that the law, as it now stands, for hanging felons, has the desired effect in lessening the growth of evils." The following chapter is entitled "A scheme to dispose of Felons, without Death or transportation, and make them useful Members of Society." Of tobacco users he says "...we are confident many in those countries that go without shoes and stockings, destroy more money in tobacco than would keep them in these articles; in short, it is a foolish, dirty, unmeaning custom, which ought to be abolished by every person of sense, having no good quality attending it..." . [bibliographic references: HOWES V53. SABIN 98633.].