Antiquates Limited - Logo

WITH A MEMOIR AND ALS INSERTED

MONTAGU, George. The Sportsman's Directory: or, tractate on gunpowder founded on a series of experiments: together with some remarks and suggestions on fire-arms....

London. Printed for R. Faulder, 1792. First edition.
8vo. [2], vii, [1], 152pp. With an engraved frontispiece, without half-title. Contemporary tree sheep. Rubbed, a little wear to extremities, upper joint split and as a result the upper board is holding by a single cord. Some spotting to text. With a later 3pp printed memoir of the author and A.L.S. by Sir Harford Brydges (dated Feb 14th 1861) tipped in at front.
A rare study, based on experiments conducted by the author George Montagu (1753-1815), naturalist and field sports enthusiast, and a veteran of seven-years service in the 15th Foot during which he served as a Captain in the American War of Independence, of the attributes of various types of fire-arms designed to 'assist the sportsman with the choice of his gun, and all its appendages requisite for the field of diversion'.

Included is a remarkably wide-ranging and philosophical ten page discussion of duelling, which the author, 'by no means an advocate for duelling unconstrained' considers - despite it causing 'many brutal, inhuman and predetermined murders' - a difficult practice to obliterate. Indeed, in discussing a ban, Montague argues that society must consider the alternative: 'it might draw upon a country calamities of a more dreadful nature - secret assassination...modesty would be too frequently indecently attacked, and virtue stained by illiberality'.

Rare; ESTC locates only three copies in the British Isles (BL, Cambridge and St. Andrews) and just one further elsewhere (Smithsonian).
ESTC T33010.
£ 1,250.00 Antiquates Ref: 20538