Excerpt from The Rights of Man
In the House of Commons, early in 1790, Burke had attacked the principles of the French Revolution. Shortly after appeared an advertisement in the newspapers of his intention of publishing a pamphlet on the same subject; and Paine promised the friends of the Revolution that he would reply to it. The pensioner"s Reflections appeared just after Paine"s return to England (in November, 1790); and in less than three months after was produced the first part of the Rights of Man. This was written "partly at the Angel, at Islington, partly in Harding Street, Fetter Lane, and finished at Versailles." The work was printed in February for Mr. Johnson, of St. Paul"s Churchyard; but he on reperusing it, finding certain passages which he thought liable to prosecution, declined having anything further to do with it. After some difficulty, a willing publisher was found - a Mr. Jordan, of No. 166, Fleet Street; and the book was brought out by him on the 13th of March, 1791. Its immediate circulation - allowing for some exaggeration on the part of his friend, Clio Rickman - appears to have been of an extent unprecedented, if we except that of his book, Common Sense.
In May, Paine revisited France; and was in Paris at the time of the king"s flight. On that occasion, he is said to have remarked to a friend: "You see the absurdity of monarchical governments. Here will be a whole nation disturbed by the folly of one man." While in France, the Abbe Sieyes having avowed an intention of writing in defence of monarchy against republicanism, Paine offered to controvert his arguments, in a given number of pages: but the abbe"s work never appeared.
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