View source for Letter to Sir William Windham

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''A Letter to Sir William Windham ; II. Some Reflections on the Present State of the Nation ; III. A Letter to Mr. Pope''}}
===by Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke===
__NOTOC__
{{BookPageInfoBox
|imagename=BolingbrokeLettertoSirWilliamWindham.jpg
|link=https://catalog.swem.wm.edu/law/Record/3465870
|shorttitle=A Letter to Sir William Windham
|author=Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke
|lang=English
|publoc=London
|publisher=Printed for the Editor, and sold by A. Millar
|year=1753
|pages=[2], 531, [1], [1] leaf of plates
|desc=8vo (20 cm.)
}}[[File:BolingbrokeLetterToSirWilliamWindham1753Frontispiece.jpg|left|thumb|250px|<center>Frontispiece.</center>]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_St_John,_1st_Viscount_Bolingbroke Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke] (1678-1751), was a politician, diplomatist, and an author.  His political career was defined by his association with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tory Tory] party and his antireligious views. His first years in Parliament saw a sharp increase in Tory political power due to dissatisfaction with the reign of the foreign king [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England William III] and the privileged position of power of the Church of England. Somewhat ironically, Bolingbroke staunchly opposed the doctrine of “divine right,” while vigorously supporting the royal prerogative. Bolingbroke’s reputation was mixed. Many saw him as ruthlessly ambitious, pointing to the fact that he often betrayed close compatriots to further his career. Eventually, he became Secretary of State from 1710-1714. He would eventually be charged with treason for his support of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobite_rebellion_of_1715 Jacobite Cause] and would flee to France, only to be pardoned and return to England later in his life. In the end, Bolingbroke's writings would have a more lasting and direct influence in the formation of the United States government and republican ideals than his mixed political career.<ref>H. T. Dickinson, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24496 "St John, Henry, styled first Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751)"] in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed October 10, 2013.</ref><br /> 
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Bolingbroke's collected works, including "A Letter to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Wyndham,_3rd_Baronet Sir William Windham]," "Some Reflections on the Present State of the Nation," and "A Letter to Mr. Pope", are foundational in the literature surrounding republican ideals of government. Bolingbroke’s writings were particularly popular among the founders of the United States, including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams John Adams], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Madison James Madison]. Adams claimed to have read Bolingbroke’s works at least five times. Bolingbroke’s focus on the liberty afforded by the Rule of Law was considered by many of the founding fathers as the bedrock of any republic government.<ref>''Republicanism and Constitutionalism in Early Modern Europe,'' Republicanism: A Shared European Heritage, vol. 1, ed. Martin van Gelderen and Quentin Skinner (West Nyack, NY: Cambridge University Press 2002), 41.</ref>
{{BookPageBookplate
|imagename=BolingbrokeLetterToSirWilliamWindham1753Bookplate.jpg
|display=left
|caption=Bookplate of David Warner Dumas, 1968, front pastedown.
}}
==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as ''Bolingbroke to Windham 8vo.'' and given by [[Thomas Jefferson]] to his son-in-law, [[Thomas Mann Randolph]]. We do not have enough information to conclusively identify which edition Wythe owned. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s. v. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe "Member: George Wythe"], accessed on November 13, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing indicates this, adding "Octavo editions were published at London in 1753 and 1787." The [https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433 Brown Bibliography]<ref> Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433</ref> lists the first edition published in 1753, and this is the edition purchased by the Wolf Law Library.

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Rebound in period-style quarter calf with marbled boards. Includes the bookplate of David Warner Dumas, "1968" on the front pastedown. Purchased from Brookline Village Books.

View this book in [https://catalog.swem.wm.edu/law/Record/3465870 William & Mary's online catalog.]

==References==
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[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]