Travels during the years 1787, 1788 and 1789, undertaken more particularly with a view of ascertaining the cultivation, wealth, resources, and national prosperity of the Kingdom of France. To which is added, the register of a tour into Spain. In two volumes.

Dublin: Printed for Messrs. R. Cross, P. Wogan, L. White, P. Byrne, A. Grueber, J. Moore, J. Jones, W. Jones, W. M’Kenzie, and J. Rice., 1793. Hardcover. See Description. 8vo. 2 vols. Vol. I. pp. Vol. II. pp. With 3 maps one of which is colored. First printed in 1792. According to Cox this Dublin 1793 printing was probably a pirate edition. The official second edition appeared a year later. Re-bound in modern half calf with gilt spine labels and marbled boards. An ink shelf number is handwritten on the verso of both titles (with miniscule bleed through on the title of volume II). A shelf number is also written on the bottom margin of p. 101 in both volumes, and on the final blanks in volume II. The map in volume II is re-hinged and contains a tear (professionally sealed) along the inner margin and crossing one printed corner tip. The interior shows some marginal foxing, mild staining and age-toning. Pages 431-432 (folio 3I4) in volume II contain a manufacturing tear through a large part of the leaf. The tear is carefully sealed; however, due to paper slippage during printing, some words of text near the tear are skewed out of place. Arthur Young (1741-1820) was one of the foremost British agriculturalists in his day. According to Edward Cox’s bibliography, Young "…is unexcelled in relating personal adventures, in observations of the agricultural situation, and in descriptions of the many friends he met. He was near enough to the outbreak of the French Revolution to perceive that something unusual was astir, and even experienced some personal contacts with the disordered state of affairs." [See Cox, Ref. Guide to the Lit. of Travel I, p. 161]. De Tocqueville said that Young’s book "is one of the most instructive works which exist on the former state of society in France (See De Tocqueville, "On the state and society in France…" London, 1888. p. 84). [ESTC T121339; Cox I, p. 161; Brunet V, 1510; Lowndes, p. 3020; Graesse VII, p. 496 ].