Fine Books and Manuscripts

Truth Exalted; in a short, but sure, Testimony against all those Religions, Faiths, and Worhsips that have been formed and followed in the Darkness of Apostacy... London: n.p., 1671.8vo (192 x 138 mm). 19pp. (Some browning from old tape repairs in gutter first 2 leaves). Modern red quarter morocco, spine gilt, bottom edge uncut (hinges starting, discreet library stamp on spine). Second edition, after the first edition published in 1668. The Truth Exalted was the first pamphlet Penn published after he joined the Society of Friends, in which he upholds Quaker doctrines while attacking those of the Roman Catholics, Protestants, and other Non-conformists (calling them lures of "that Subtil Serpent"). In total, Penn published 42 books and pamphlets in the seven years following his converstion. Penn's tone is that of a youthful recent convert; on reading this tract, Pepys comments in his diary that the book was "ridiculous [and] nonsensicalso full of nothing but nonsense, that I was ashamed to read in it." COPIES OF ALL EDITIONS ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE: online auction records trace 6 copies of either edition at auction in the last 80 years.