On the Constitution of The Church and State, according to The Idea of Each: with Aids toward a Right Judgement on the late Catholic Bill.. This item is unavailable.On the Constitution of The Church and State, according to The Idea of Each: with Aids toward a Right Judgement on the late Catholic Bill.

FIRST EDITION, initial, final pages and central gathering with scattered spotting, pp. viii, 227, 8vo, near contemporary half claret roan by T. Dean, Canterbury (with ticket to pastedown), marbled boards, spine with gilt-tooled raised bands, scored panels and gilt-lettered morocco label, boards with slight abrasions, edges rubbed, good. Written in the context of the Catholic Emancipation debate, and begun when the details of the Bill were not yet known, Coleridge concedes, in his opening remarks that the Bill 'agreeably disappointed my fears', and challenges Peel's prediction that the new law would 'break in upon the constitutional settlement of 1688.' In characteristically pragmatic form, Coleridge contrasts the idea with the reality of the constitution, 'the distinction I have enforced, between the exhibition of an idea, and the way of acting on the same.' Rather topically, he continues 'I seem to see a world of power and talent wasted on the support of half-truths. This may result from the spirit and habit of partizanship.' His last prose work, which had a considerable influence on Gladstone. (The Coleridge Bulletin, NS32, Winter 2008).…