[MALTA - UNIVERSITY] FARRUGIA, Francesco Saverio (18th centu...

Hammer

€1,700

[MALTA - UNIVERSITY] FARRUGIA, Francesco Saverio (18th century). Discorsi accademici. Malta: Mallia, 1778.
scarcefirst Maltese edition, with no auction records traced (RBH) and apparently known from only one documented copy, held by the National Library of Malta. Farrugia was a jurist and magistrate of Malta's Gran Corte della Castellania, and later a councillor of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. Dedicated to Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc (1725-1797), this concise work of only 39 pages comprises six discourses addressing distinct philosophical, political and legal themes: education; law; the preservation of civil peace and the consent of subjects; the qualities of good government; punishment and the use of torture; and, finally, reward. Farrugia vigorously upholds the principle of retributive punishment as the true foundation of the spirit of the law. From this position also stems his controversial defence of judicial torture, which he regards as compatible with the philosophy of law, explicitly opposing the views of contemporary humanitarian thinkers, whose arguments he systematically seeks to refute throughout the work.

4to (c.204 × 145 mm). Title-page with large woodcut arms of Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan. Contemporary decorated-paper wrappers. (1)