BERNSTORFF'S EXCEEDINGLY RARE CONFISCATED DEFENCE SPEECH

(BERNSTORFF, JOHANN HARTWIG ERNST.

Apologie de Monsieur le Comte de Bernstorf. Schutzschrift des Herrn Grafen von Bernstorf. [With introduction by Ludwig von Hess].

(Location and printer unknown), 1772. Bound in contemporary half cloth with gilt spine and five raised bands. With librarian Bølling's signature to pasted down front free end-paper. Some occasional brownspotting, otherwise a fine and clean copy. Text in French and German on opposite pages.

Scarce first edition of Bernstorff's defence speech before the King against accusations from fellow ministers. The book was declared to be a forgery, and all copies were ordered confiscated hence only a few remains in circulation.
Danish chamberlain Frederik Danneskjold-Samsøe raised various different accusations against Bernstorff, the most serious being the state debt exceeded to a dangerous level due to Bernstorff's economic policy. In the present book Bernstorff managed to refute all Danneskjold-Samsøe's accusations and the many intrigues he had been exposed to.
Unfortunatly Bernstorff did not live to see the effect of his publication.

Goldsmiths'-Kress no. 10841.0.

Order-nr.: 43843