8vo. xviii, 51pp, [1]. Possibly lacking a final leaf. Uncut and partially unopened in modern blue paper wrappers. Lightly rubbed and marked, spine heavily sunned; very slight chipping to wrapper edges. Contemporary ink inscription reading ‘No 5 Vol 3’ to title. Very occasional light spotting, subtle repairs to final leaf.

The very scarce first edition of a collection of pieces first published in Drakard’s Stamford News in early 1810. John Drakard, (1774/5-1854) publisher and radical, used his weekly Stamford News, established in 1809, to distribute articles in favour of reform. Drakard was often prosecuted for libel, most notably for publishing an article criticising corporal punishment in the British Army, entitled 'One Thousand Lashes', for which he was sentenced to eighteen months in jail, and fined £200. The extracts compiled within this volume contain vitriolic criticism of future Lord Chancellor Charles Yorke, (1764-1834) protesting his opposition to reform, anti-Jacobinism, and his acceptance of a sinecure as Teller of the Exchequer, with a salary of £2700 a year.

Rare; COPAC records only copies at just two locations (BL and Edinburgh), OCLC adds two further (Columbia, Rutgers).