London: Richard Bentley, 1841. First edition. Octavo (226 x 143 mm). Original purple cloth, spines ruled in blind and lettered in gilt, covers with floral border blocked in blind, pale yellow endpapers with printed advertisements. Engraved frontispiece to each vol., all with original tissue guards, two plates in Vol. III. Contemporary bookseller’s ticket of Sharland, Southampton, to front pastedown of each volume. Light bumping and rubbing, a few discrete repairs to the cloth, cloth and extremities sunned as usual, tidemarks to covers and outer leaves of Vol. I, minor browning and foxing to contents: a very good copy.

"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." Scottish journalist Charles Mackay's early study in crowd psychology, Memoirs sets out to debunk sensational issues ranging from alchemy, fortune-telling and haunted houses with large-scale and serious political issues such as crusades and economic bubbles. Across the three volumes, Mackay walks his readers through three different fields. While Volume I tackles Economic Delusions, Volume II handles Peculiar Follies and Volume III emphasizes Philosophical Delusions.

Dennistoun & Goodman 58; Kress C.5560; Zerden, pp. 77-8; not in Goldsmiths’ or Mattioli. Very Good (Item #6458)