Nicholas Roe, St. Andrews University, Scotland
John Thelwalls The Peripatetic is a neglected masterpiece by the most prominent and controversial English Jacobin of the 1790s.
James A. Butler, La Salle University
Judith Thompsons account of John Thelwalls The Peripatetic is the finest literary criticism I have read on an author whose works are now, deservedly, entering many Romantic Period anthologies and classrooms.
John Thelwall's the Peripatetic FROM THE PUBLISHER
John Thelwall (1764-1834) was one of the most famous English Jacobins of the eighteenth century. A self-educated poet, novelist, journalist, and politician, Thelwall was a key figure in the democratic movement of the 1790s, a vigorous campaigner for political and social reform, and a noted writer. The Peripatetic, first published in 1793, is a three-volume excursion through multiple genres, with debates about the rights of men and women, the politics of class and race, patriotism and nationhood, and the conflicts of modern culture.
In this new edition, Judith Thompson makes this significant literary text available to students and scholars. In addition to the complete text of The Peripatetic, Thompson includes a detailed biographical and textual introduction, explanatory notes, bibliographic notes, an index, and maps, all of which help make this important work accessible to modern readers.
The Peripatetic is an essential work for scholars and students of Jacobinism and romantic literature. Readers will value this new edition that provides an excellent introduction to the literary and political scene of the early romantic period.