Aristotle. A Treatise on Government. Translated from the Greek by William Ellis. London: Printed for T. Payne and T. Cadell, 1776. Quarto, period style full calf gilt. First edition of the first English translation directly from the Greek of Aristotle's important work on politics and government. “The father of modern democracy” (PMM 38). An exemplary copy.

This influential work elucidates the political principles of Aristotle, the father of political science, and lays out his recommendations for the structure of government. Aristotle's timeless insights on governance, law, and the role of citizens in society are brought to life in this English translation by Ellis, which lay on the shelves of Jefferson’s own library. Jefferson later counseled that the Declaration of Independence's authority rested on the "harmonising sentiments" of the day, including the works of Aristotle, Cicero, Locke, and Sidney. 

As Ayn Rand noted in various writings on Aristotle, “Aristotle’s philosophy was the intellect’s Declaration of Independence” (FNI, 22). In Rand’s review of JH Randall’s Aristotle, she wrote, “Throughout history the influence of Aristotle’s philosophy (particularly of his epistemology) has led in the direction of individual freedom, of man’s liberation from the power of the state…Aristotle (via John Locke) was the philosophical father of the Constitution of the United States and thus of capitalism” (The Objectivist Newsletter, May 1963). Like America's Declaration, this English translation of Aristotle's Treatise on Government loomed in 1776.

The meticulous translation by William Ellis captures the essence of Aristotle's teachings, offering a comprehensive and accessible exploration of the Master’s thoughts on the workings of government and civic life. Scholars agree that the Ellis translation was one of the sources Jefferson consulted as he drafted of the Declaration of Independence.

Two small ex libris stamps appear in the text, one on the verso of the Title and another on P. 99. Pages are toned in the margins, where occasional penciled notations appear, not interfering with text. A beautiful copy, handsomely bound. Book #Bv2430. $13,500.