The Economy of Human Life. Translated from an Indian Manuscript, Written by an Ancient Bramin.
Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank, 1795. Hardcover. The American fascination with things "Indian" (the Orient) in this early bestseller in America, first published in 1751. A scarce Philadelphia imprint, not recorded in OCLC.
According to the author, the work is an ancient book given by a Tibetan lama (Potala in Lhasa) to a Chinese official who translated it from the Sanskrit into Chinese. Later translated into English, it presents an "Oriental system of morality" to a European and American audience.
18mo, xii, 130pp. Period full brown calf. Boards scuffed and marked, spine chipped, split along spine but holding. Internally, lacking front end paper, some fox spotting. Period owners's signatures at front paste down and title page. Not recorded in OCLC. Good -. Item #24538
Price: $125.00