The Art of Speaking. Containing, I. An essay; in which are given rules for expressing properly the principal passions and humours, which occur in reading, or public speaking; and II. Lessons, taken from the antients and moderns, (with additions and alterations where thought useful) exhibiting a variety of matter for practice; the emphatical words printed in Italics; with notes of direction referring to the essay...

London: printed for T. Longman, J. Buckland, and W. Fenner [etc.], , 1761. First Edition. Old brown calf (rebacked). 8 1/8 x 5 inches (21 x 12.5 cm); [4], 373, [17] pp., [2] pp. ads. Rebacked as noted (spine label misattributing the work to Thomas Sheridan), boards rubbed, hinges reinforced; slightly toned, but a clean copy overall. Old name of Richard Halsey on endpaper, book label of William Safire.

A rare work on rhetoric and oratory, written by an author whose thinking in his Political Disquisitions influenced Thomas Jefferson, and whose first (truncated) work, The Dignity of Human Nature, closely parallels Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac. This first edition is quite rare both institutionally and in commerce; ESTC notes three copies only in the UK and four in the US (and one in Europe). An especially compelling copy given the William Safire Provenance, as Safire worked as a Presidential speechwriter. (Inventory #: D18372)